Parasite Burden and CD36-Mediated Sequestration Affect Lung Injury in Malaria
Author Information
Author(s): Lovegrove Fiona E., Gharib Sina A., Peña-Castillo Lourdes, Patel Samir N., Ruzinski John T., Hughes Timothy R., Liles W. Conrad, Kain Kevin C.
Primary Institution: University of Toronto
Hypothesis
Acute lung injury (ALI) occurs in the PbA mouse model and is mediated by parasite sequestration in the lung.
Conclusion
Parasite burden and CD36-mediated sequestration in the lung are primary determinants of acute lung injury in experimental murine malaria.
Supporting Evidence
- BAL fluid of PbA-infected mice showed significant increases in IgM and total protein, indicating lung injury.
- Histopathology revealed septal inflammation without cellular infiltration into the alveolar spaces.
- Microarray analysis identified up-regulated genes associated with immune response in lung tissue from infected mice.
Takeaway
Mice infected with malaria can get sick lungs because of the number of parasites in their body and how those parasites stick to the lungs.
Methodology
The study used bronchoalveolar lavage, histopathology, and gene expression analysis to examine lung injury in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA.
Limitations
The study is limited by its small sample size and the inability to directly correlate findings in mice to human malaria.
Participant Demographics
C57BL/6 mice were used in the experiments.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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