Aberrations in cerebral vascular functions due to Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis infection in mice

• Published in: Experimental and molecular pathology Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 62 - 69
• Main Authors: Sharma, M.C., Tripathi, L.M., Rastogi, M., Maitra, S.C., Sagar, P., Dutta, G.P., Pandey, V.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.08.1992; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alkaline Phosphatase - analysis; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Capillaries - enzymology; Capillaries - physiology; Capillaries - ultrastructure; Cerebral Arteries - enzymology; Cerebral Arteries - physiology; Cerebral Arteries - ultrastructure; Cerebral Cortex - blood supply; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Cerebral Cortex - parasitology; Cerebral Veins - enzymology; Cerebral Veins - physiology; Cerebral Veins - ultrastructure; Chromium Radioisotopes; Disease Models, Animal; Erythrocytes - metabolism; Evans Blue - metabolism; gamma-Glutamyltransferase - analysis; Infectious diseases; Iodine Radioisotopes; Malaria - pathology; Malaria - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Mice; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Monoamine Oxidase - analysis; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium yoelii - isolation & purification; Serum Albumin, Bovine - metabolism; Protozoa; Nervous system diseases; Animal; Complication; Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis; Sporozoa; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0014-4800; 1096-0945
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-4800(92)90049-H

Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis infection in mice caused an increase in uptake of 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin, 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes and Evans blue dye from peripheral circulation into the brain. Isolated cerebral microvessels which were characterized in terms of their morphology under scanning electron microscope and enhancement of the specific activities of biochemical markers, viz. alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and monoamine oxidase, showed significant decrease in these activities due to P. yoelii nigeriensis infection. On the other hand, relatively minor (statistically insignificant) changes occurred in the first two enzyme specific activities in the cerebral cortex and monoamine oxidase registered an increase in this tissue due to infection. Histological examination of the cerebral tissue of infected animals by light and electron microscopy showed broken blood vessel walls and leakage of erythrocytes into extravascular space, some of which contained intraerythrocytic malarial parasite in a state of cell division.