title: Plasmodium berghei ANKA Infection in ICR Mice as a Model of Cerebral Malaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Animal models with various combination of host-parasite have long been employed to study malaria pathogenesis. Here, we describe the combination of Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in inbred ICR mice as a model of cerebral malaria (CM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Infection in mice was initiated by intraperitoneal injection of 2 x 10(7) (0.2ml) parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This model can produce a severe degree of infection presented by the high degree of parasitaemia followed by death 6-7 days post infection. Severe anemia, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and discolourations of major organs were observed. Histopathological findings revealed several important features mimicking human CM including, microvascular sequestration of PRBCs in major organs, particularly in the brain, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the kupffer cells in the liver, pulmonary edema and hyaline membrane formation in the lungs and haemorrhages in the kidney's medulla and cortex. Proinflammatory cytokines TNFα, IFNγ, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-18, and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were all found to be elevated in the plasma of infected mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model can reproduce many of the important features of CM and therefore can be used as a tool to advance our understanding of the disease pathogenesis.
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Basir
authors: Ss Fazalul
authors: SF
authors: Rahiman
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Hasballah
authors: Wc
authors: W
authors: Chong
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Talib
authors: Mf
authors: M
authors: Yam
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jabbarzare
authors: Th
authors: T
authors: Tie
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Othman
authors: Mam
authors: M
authors: Moklas
authors: Wo
authors: W
authors: Abdullah
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Ahmad
keywords: Animal model; ICR mice; Malaria; Plasmodium berghei