当前位置： SCI文献检索 > MALARIA JOURNAL期刊下所有文献 > Parasite densities modulate susceptibility of mice to cerebral malaria during co-infection with Schistosoma japonicum and Plasmodium berghei.

Parasite densities modulate susceptibility of mice to cerebral malaria during co-infection with Schistosoma japonicum and Plasmodium berghei.

Abstract：

BACKGROUND:Malaria and schistosomiasis are endemic and co-exist in the same geographic areas, even co-infecting the same host. Previous studies have reported that concomitant infection with Schistosoma japonicum could offer protection against experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) in mice. This study was performed to evaluate whether alterations in parasite density could alter this protective effect. METHODS:Mice were inoculated with 100 or 200 S. japonicum cercariae followed by infection with high or low density of Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain eight weeks after the first infection. Then, parasitaemia, survival rate and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) damage were assessed. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-10, and TGF-β levels were determined in splenocyte supernatants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cell surface/intracellular staining and flow cytometry were used to analyse the level of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells, CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs, IL-10-secreting Tregs, and IL-10(+)Foxp3-CD4(+) T cells in the spleen, and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells infiltrating the brain. RESULTS:Co-infection with low density P. berghei and increased S. japonicum cercariae significantly increased the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, TGF-β and Tregs, but significantly decreased the levels of IFN-γ and the percentage of CD4(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells in the spleen and CD8(+) T cell infiltration in the brain. Increased worm loads also significantly decreased mortality and BBB impairment during ECM. When challenged with higher numbers of P. berghei and increased cercariae, the observed cytokine changes were not statistically significant. The corresponding ECM mortality and BBB impairment also remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS:This study demonstrates that protection for ECM depends on the numbers of the parasites, S. japonicum and P. berghei, during co-infection. Alterations in the regulatory response appear to play a key role in this adaptation.

journal_name

Malar J

journal_title

Malaria journal

authors

Wang ML,Feng YH,Pang W,Qi ZM,Zhang Y,Guo YJ,Luo EJ,Cao YM

doi

10.1186/1475-2875-13-116

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2014-03-26 00:00:00

pages

116

issn

1475-2875

pii

1475-2875-13-116

journal_volume

pub_type

杂志文章

在线工具

Parasite densities modulate susceptibility of mice to cerebral malaria during co-infection with Schistosoma japonicum and Plasmodium berghei.