title: Interleukin-18 Antagonism Improved Histopathological Conditions of Malaria Infection in Mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin 18 (IL-18) exerts pleiotropic roles in many inflammatory-related diseases including parasitic infection. Previous studies have demonstrated the promising therapeutic potential of modulating IL-18 bioactivity in various pathological conditions. However, its involvement during malaria infection has yet to be established. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of modulating IL-18 on the histopathological conditions of malaria infected mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in male ICR mice was used as a model for malaria infection. Modulation of IL-18 release was carried out by treatment of malarial mice with recombinant mouse IL-18 (rmIL-18) and recombinant mouse IL-18 Fc chimera (rmIL-18Fc) intravenously. Histopathological study and analysis were performed on major organs including brain, liver, spleen, lungs and kidney.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with rmIL-18Fc resulted in significant improvements on the histopathological conditions of the organs in malaria-infected mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-18 is an important mediator of malaria pathogenesis and targeting IL-18 could prove beneficial in malaria-infected host.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jabbarzare
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Voon Kin
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Herni
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Talib
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mun Fei
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Khadijah
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Haniza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Roslaini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdul Majid
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Che Norma
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Mat Taib
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohamad Aris
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mohd Moklas
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taufik Hidayat
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hasidah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohd Sidek
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rusliza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basir
keywords: Histopathology; Interleukin-18; Malaria; Plasmodium berghei