Mendiola MJ, García RME, Capó PV, Ancízar FJC, Peraza BJ, Fernández-Calienes VA, González NB

Language: Spanish
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Page: 1-13
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ABSTRACT

Introduction: cerebral malaria is one of the most important complications of infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Murine models have been very useful to meet the challenge of defining the physiopathology of this condition. However, contradictory histopathological results have been found in the model for C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei Anka, due to the use of different protocols and mice strains. Objectives: identify the main clinical signs of cerebral malaria in C57BL/6/Cenp mice infected with P. berghei Anka and describe the histopathological damage to brain tissue. Methods: forty-seven female mice from this substrain were infected, while another 10 were used as control group. Observation of the behavior and clinical signs described for the model was conducted as of day 5 after infection. Five female mice with neurological signs and four controls were selected. They were applied humane endpoint, and their brains were quickly extracted, preserved in 10 % formalin and processed with paraffin. The 5 μm coronal sections were stained with haematoxylineosin and compared. Results: the main neurological signs observed in the infected animals were ataxia, convulsions, and neck and hind limb paralysis. No damage was observed in brains from the control group, unlike the samples from C57BL/6/Cenp mice infected with P. berghei Anka with neurological signs, where microhemorrhage was the main histological finding. Conclusions: clinical signs and histopathological results confirmed the presence of brain damage caused by the experimental infection under study, substantiating a relationship to human cerebral malaria.