Anxiety-like behavior and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the brain of C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (strain ANKA).
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection. The underlying mechanisms of CM pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. The imbalance between the release of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines has been associated with central nervous system dysfunction found in human and experimental CM. The current study investigated anxiety-like behavior, histopathological changes and release of brain cytokines in C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei strain ANKA (PbA). Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in control and PbA-infected mice using the elevated plus maze test. Histopathological changes in brain tissue were assessed by haematoxylin and eosin staining. Brain concentration of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ was determined by ELISA. We found that PbA-infected mice on day 5 post-infection presented anxiety symptoms, histopathological alterations in the brainstem, cerebrum and hippocampus and increased cerebral levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. These findings suggest an involvement of central nervous system inflammatory mediators in anxiety symptoms found in CM.
Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. alines.miranda@hotmail.com
Aline Silva
AS
de Miranda
Norinne
N
Lacerda-Queiroz
Márcia
M
de Carvalho Vilela
David Henrique
DH
Rodrigues
Milene Alvarenga
MA
Rachid
João
J
Quevedo
Antônio Lúcio
AL
Teixeira
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines