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Zhang Y, Liang Z, Xing H, Yu C, Liang J, Xu Q, Song J, He Z. A model of pregnancy-associated malaria for inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in ICR mouse. Exp Parasitol 2024; 257:108686. [PMID: 38158008 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Based on understanding of placental pathological features and safe medication in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM), establishment of a stable pregnant mouse infection model with Plasmodium was urgently needed. METHODS ICR mice with vaginal plugs detected were randomly divided into post-pregnancy infection (Malaria+) and uninfected pregnancy (Malaria-) cohorts. Age-matched mice that had not been mated were infected as pre-pregnancy infection group (Virgin control), which were subsequently mated with ICR males. All mice were inoculated with 1 × 106Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs by intraperitoneal injection, and the same amount of saline was given to Malaria- group. We recorded the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the amounts of offspring in each group. RESULTS The Virgin group mice were unable to conceive normally, and vaginal bleeding, abortion, or stillbirth appeared in the Malaria+ group. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was extremely high and statistically significant compared with the control (Malaria-) group (P < 0.05), of which placenta exhibited pathological features associated with human gestational malaria. CONCLUSIONS The intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs could establish a model of pregnancy-associated malaria in ICR mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Zhiming Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510700, China
| | - Haoyu Xing
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Chuyi Yu
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Jianming Liang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Jianping Song
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Zhouqing He
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, 518033, China.
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2
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Ezema CA, Okagu IU, Ezeorba TPC. Escaping the enemy's bullets: an update on how malaria parasites evade host immune response. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07868-6. [PMID: 37219610 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07868-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to cause untold hardship to inhabitants of malaria-endemic regions, causing significant morbidity and mortality that severely impact global health and the economy. Considering the complex life cycle of malaria parasites (MPs) and malaria biology, continued research efforts are ongoing to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases. Female Anopheles mosquito injects MPs into its hosts during a blood meal, and MPs invade the host skin and the hepatocytes without causing any serious symptoms. Symptomatic infections occur only during the erythrocytic stage. In most cases, the host's innate immunity (for malaria-naïve individuals) and adaptive immunity (for pre-exposed individuals) mount severe attacks and destroy most MPs. It is increasingly understood that MPs have developed several mechanisms to escape from the host's immune destruction. This review presents recent knowledge on how the host's immune system destroys invading MPs as well as MPs survival or host immune evasion mechanisms. On the invasion of host cells, MPs release molecules that bind to cell surface receptors to reprogram the host in a way to lose the capacity to destroy them. MPs also hide from the host immune cells by inducing the clustering of both infected and uninfected erythrocytes (rosettes), as well as inducing endothelial activation. We hope this review will inspire more research to provide a complete understanding of malaria biology and promote interventions to eradicate the notorious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinonso Anthony Ezema
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
- Division of Soft Matter, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Innocent Uzochukwu Okagu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Timothy Prince Chidike Ezeorba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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3
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Drewry LL, Pewe LL, Hancox LS, Van de Wall S, Harty JT. CD4 T Cell-Dependent and -Independent Roles for IFN-γ in Blood-Stage Malaria. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1305-1313. [PMID: 36939394 PMCID: PMC10121907 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Production of IFN-γ by CD4 T cells is widely theorized to control Plasmodium parasite burden during blood-stage malaria. Surprisingly, the specific and crucial mechanisms through which this highly pleiotropic cytokine acts to confer protection against malarial disease remain largely untested in vivo. Here we used a CD4 T cell-restricted Cre-Lox IFN-γ excision mouse model to test whether and how CD4 T cell-derived IFN-γ controls blood-stage malaria. Although complete absence of IFN-γ compromised control of the acute and the chronic, recrudescent blood-stage infections with P. c. chabaudi, we identified a specific, albeit modest, role for CD4 T cell-derived IFN-γ in limiting parasite burden only during the chronic stages of P. c. chabaudi malaria. CD4 T cell IFN-γ promoted IgG Ab class switching to the IgG2c isotype during P. c. chabaudi malaria in C57BL/6 mice. Unexpectedly, our data do not support gross defects in phagocytic activity in IFN-γ-deficient hosts infected with blood-stage malaria. Together, our data confirm CD4 T cell-dependent roles for IFN-γ but suggest CD4 T cell-independent roles for IFN-γ in immune responses to blood-stage malaria.
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4
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Ojha SB, Sah RK, Madan E, Bansal R, Roy S, Singh S, Dhangadamajhi G. Cuscuta reflexa Possess Potent Inhibitory Activity Against Human Malaria Parasite: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:189. [PMID: 37074472 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03289-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Drug resistance to practically all antimalarial drugs in use necessitate the development of new chemotherapeutics against malaria. In this aspect, traditionally used plants with folklore reputation are the pillar for drug discovery. Cuscuta reflexa being traditionally used in the treatment of malaria in Odisha, India we aimed to experimentally validate its antimalarial potential. Different solvent extracts of C. reflexa or column fractions from a promising solvent extract were evaluated for in vitro anti-plasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strain Pf3D7. Potent fractions were further evaluated for inhibition of parasite growth against different drug resistant strains. Safety of these fractions was determined by in vitro cyto-toxicity, and therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated by suppression of parasitemia and improvement in survival of experimental mice. Besides, their immunomodulatory effect was investigated in Pf-antigen stimulated RAW cells. GCMS fingerprints of active fractions was determined. Column separation of methanol extract which showed the highest in vitro antiplasmodial activity (IC50 = 14.48 μg/ml) resulted in eleven fractions, three of which (F2, F3, and F4) had anti-plasmodial IC50 ranging from ≤ 10 to 2.2 μg/ml against various P. falciparum strains with no demonstration of in vitro cytotoxicity. F4 displayed the highest in vivo parasite suppression, and had a mean survival time similar to artesunate (19.3 vs. 20.6 days). These fractions significantly modulated expression of inflammatory cytokines in Pf-antigen stimulated RAW cells. The findings of the study confirm the antimalarial potential of C. reflexa. Exploration of phyto-molecules in GCMS fingerprints of active fractions is warranted for possible identification of lead anti-malarial phyto-drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sashi Bhusan Ojha
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada, Odisha, 757003, India
| | - Raj Kumar Sah
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Evanka Madan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Ruby Bansal
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shaktirekha Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada, Odisha, 757003, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Gunanidhi Dhangadamajhi
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada, Odisha, 757003, India.
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5
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Storm J, Camarda G, Haley MJ, Brough D, Couper KN, Craig AG. Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte co-culture with the monocyte cell line THP-1 does not trigger production of soluble factors reducing brain microvascular barrier function. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285323. [PMID: 37141324 PMCID: PMC10159134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Monocytes contribute to the pro-inflammatory immune response during the blood stage of a Plasmodium falciparum infection, but their precise role in malaria pathology is not clear. Besides phagocytosis, monocytes are activated by products from P. falciparum infected erythrocytes (IE) and one of the activation pathways is potentially the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multi-protein complex that leads to the production of interleukin (IL)-1β. In cerebral malaria cases, monocytes accumulate at IE sequestration sites in the brain microvascular and the locally produced IL-1β, or other secreted molecules, could contribute to leakage of the blood-brain barrier. To study the activation of monocytes by IE within the brain microvasculature in an in vitro model, we co-cultured IT4var14 IE and the monocyte cell line THP-1 for 24 hours and determined whether generated soluble molecules affect barrier function of human brain microvascular endothelial cells, measured by real time trans-endothelial electrical resistance. The medium produced after co-culture did not affect endothelial barrier function and similarly no effect was measured after inducing oxidative stress by adding xanthine oxidase to the co-culture. While IL-1β does decrease barrier function, barely any IL-1β was produced in the co- cultures, indicative of a lack of or incomplete THP-1 activation by IE in this co-culture model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Storm
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Grazia Camarda
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Haley
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Brough
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin N Couper
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alister G Craig
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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6
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Potential Benefits of Lycopene Consumption: Rationale for Using It as an Adjuvant Treatment for Malaria Patients and in Several Diseases. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14245303. [PMID: 36558462 PMCID: PMC9787606 DOI: 10.3390/nu14245303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a disease that affects thousands of people around the world every year. Its pathogenesis is associated with the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and lower levels of micronutrients and antioxidants. Patients under drug treatment have high levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in the body tissues, which limits the use of these drugs. Therefore, several studies have suggested that RONS inhibition may represent an adjuvant therapeutic strategy in the treatment of these patients by increasing the antioxidant capacity of the host. In this sense, supplementation with antioxidant compounds such as zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E has been suggested as part of the treatment. Among dietary antioxidants, lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant among the main carotenoids. This review aimed to describe the main mechanisms inducing oxidative stress during malaria, highlighting the production of RONS as a defense mechanism against the infection induced by the ischemia-reperfusion syndrome, the metabolism of the parasite, and the metabolism of antimalarial drugs. Furthermore, the effects of lycopene on several diseases in which oxidative stress is implicated as a cause are outlined, providing information about its mechanism of action, and providing an evidence-based justification for its supplementation in malaria.
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7
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Cutts JC, O'Flaherty K, Zaloumis SG, Ashley EA, Chan JA, Onyamboko MA, Fanello C, Dondorp AM, Day NP, Phyo AP, Dhorda M, Imwong M, Fairhurst RM, Lim P, Amaratunga C, Pukrittayakamee S, Hien TT, Htut Y, Mayxay M, Abdul Faiz M, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Beeson JG, Nosten F, Simpson JA, White NJ, Fowkes FJI. Comparison of antibody responses and parasite clearance in artemisinin therapeutic efficacy studies in Democratic Republic of Congo and Asia. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:324-331. [PMID: 35703955 PMCID: PMC9400417 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the effect of immunity on Plasmodium falciparum clearance is essential for interpreting therapeutic efficacy studies designed to monitor emergence of artemisinin drug resistance. In low-transmission areas of Southeast Asia, where resistance has emerged, P. falciparum antibodies confound parasite clearance measures. However, variation in naturally acquired antibodies across Asian and sub-Saharan African epidemiological contexts and their impact on parasite clearance re yet to be quantified. Methods In an artemisinin therapeutic efficacy study, antibodies to 12 pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic P. falciparum antigens were measured in 118 children with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and compared with responses in patients from Asian sites, described elsewhere. Results Parasite clearance half-life was shorter in DRC patients (median, 2 hours) compared with most Asian sites (median, 2–7 hours), but P. falciparum antibody levels and seroprevalences were similar. There was no evidence for an association between antibody seropositivity and parasite clearance half-life (mean difference between seronegative and seropositive, −0.14 to +0.40 hour) in DRC patients. Conclusions In DRC, where artemisinin remains highly effective, the substantially shorter parasite clearance time compared with Asia was not explained by differences in the P. falciparum antibody responses studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Cutts
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | | | - Sophie G Zaloumis
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Ashley
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust-Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Jo Anne Chan
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne Australia
| | - Marie A Onyamboko
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Caterina Fanello
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas P Day
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mehul Dhorda
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mallika Imwong
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Pharath Lim
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Chanaki Amaratunga
- Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tran Tinh Hien
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Ye Htut
- Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust-Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - M Abdul Faiz
- Malaria Research Group & Dev Care Foundation, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne Australia
| | - Francois Nosten
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Julie A Simpson
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas J White
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Freya J I Fowkes
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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8
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Introini V, Govendir MA, Rayner JC, Cicuta P, Bernabeu M. Biophysical Tools and Concepts Enable Understanding of Asexual Blood Stage Malaria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:908241. [PMID: 35711656 PMCID: PMC9192966 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.908241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Forces and mechanical properties of cells and tissues set constraints on biological functions, and are key determinants of human physiology. Changes in cell mechanics may arise from disease, or directly contribute to pathogenesis. Malaria gives many striking examples. Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, are single-celled organisms that cannot survive outside their hosts; thus, thost-pathogen interactions are fundamental for parasite’s biological success and to the host response to infection. These interactions are often combinations of biochemical and mechanical factors, but most research focuses on the molecular side. However, Plasmodium infection of human red blood cells leads to changes in their mechanical properties, which has a crucial impact on disease pathogenesis because of the interaction of infected red blood cells with other human tissues through various adhesion mechanisms, which can be probed and modelled with biophysical techniques. Recently, natural polymorphisms affecting red blood cell biomechanics have also been shown to protect human populations, highlighting the potential of understanding biomechanical factors to inform future vaccines and drug development. Here we review biophysical techniques that have revealed new aspects of Plasmodium falciparum invasion of red blood cells and cytoadhesion of infected cells to the host vasculature. These mechanisms occur differently across Plasmodium species and are linked to malaria pathogenesis. We highlight promising techniques from the fields of bioengineering, immunomechanics, and soft matter physics that could be beneficial for studying malaria. Some approaches might also be applied to other phases of the malaria lifecycle and to apicomplexan infections with complex host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Introini
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Viola Introini,
| | - Matt A. Govendir
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Cicuta
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Bernabeu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Oliveira-Mendonça LS, Mendes ÉA, Castro JO, Silva MM, Santos AG, Kaneto CM, Dias SO, Allaman IB, Vannier-Santos MA, Silva JF, Augusto DG, Anjos DOD, Santos NAS, Lima KP, Horta MF, Albuquerque GR, Costa MGC, Silva-Jardim I, Santos JLD. Trichoderma stromaticum spores induce autophagy and downregulate inflammatory mediators in human peripheral blood-derived macrophages. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2022; 3:100145. [PMID: 35909603 PMCID: PMC9325901 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T. stromaticum biocontrol agent induces autophagy, up-regulating autophagy-related genes T. stromaticum modulates expression of micro RNAs that control imune response T. stromaticum dow-nregulates expression of TLR2, TLR4, CLEC7A, NLRP3, IL-10, IL1β and IL18 T. stromaticum modulates ROS production
Trichoderma spp. are usually considered safe and normally used as biocontrol and biofertilization. Safety for human health is evaluated by several tests that detect various effects such as allergenicity, toxicity, infectivity, and pathogenicity. However, they do not evaluate the effects of the agent upon the immune system. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between T. stromaticum spores and mammalian cells to assess the immunomodulatory potential of the spores of this fungus. First, mouse macrophage cell line J774 and human macrophages were exposed to fungal spores and analyzed for structural features, through scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Then, various analysis were performed in human macrophages as to their effect in some functional and molecular aspects of the immune system through immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and gene expression assays. We demonstrated that T. stromaticum spores induces autophagy and autophagy-related genes (ATGs) and downmodulate inflammatory mediators, including ROS, NLRP3, the cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, IL-12 and IL-10, as well as TLR2, TLR4, miR-146b and miR-155, which may lead to an augmented susceptibility to pathogens. Our study shows the extension of damages the biofungicide Tricovab® can cause in the innate immune response. Further studies are necessary to elucidate other innate and adaptive immune responses and, consequently, the safety of this fungus when in contact with humans.
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10
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Molecular mechanisms of hematological and biochemical alterations in malaria: A review. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 247:111446. [PMID: 34953384 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a dangerous disease that contributes to millions of hospital visits and hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially in children residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Although several interventions such as vector control, case detection, and treatment are already in place, there is no substantive reduction in the disease burden. Several studies in the past have reported the emergence of resistant strains of malaria parasites (MPs) and mosquitoes, and poor adherence and inaccessibility to effective antimalarial drugs as the major factors for this persistent menace of malaria infections. Moreover, victory against MP infections for many years has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of the complex nature of malaria pathogenesis. Very recent studies have identified different complex interactions and hematological alterations induced by malaria parasites. However, no studies have hybridized these alterations for a better understanding of Malaria pathogenesis. Hence, this review thoroughly discusses the molecular mechanisms of all reported hematological and biochemical alterations induced by MPs infections. Specifically, the mechanisms in which MP-infection induces anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, dyslipidemia, hypoglycemia, oxidative stress, and liver and kidney malfunctions were presented. The study also discussed how MPs evade the host's immune response and suggested strategies to limit evasion of the host's immune response to combat malaria and its complications.
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11
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Chua CLL, Khoo SKM, Ong JLE, Ramireddi GK, Yeo TW, Teo A. Malaria in Pregnancy: From Placental Infection to Its Abnormal Development and Damage. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:777343. [PMID: 34867919 PMCID: PMC8636035 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.777343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a global health burden with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for the highest mortality and morbidity. Malaria in pregnancy can lead to the development of placental malaria, where P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes adhere to placental receptors, triggering placental inflammation and subsequent damage, causing harm to both mother and her infant. Histopathological studies of P. falciparum-infected placentas revealed various placental abnormalities such as excessive perivillous fibrinoid deposits, breakdown of syncytiotrophoblast integrity, trophoblast basal lamina thickening, increased syncytial knotting, and accumulation of mononuclear immune cells within intervillous spaces. These events in turn, are likely to impair placental development and function, ultimately causing placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Hence, a better understanding of the mechanisms behind placental alterations and damage during placental malaria is needed for the design of effective interventions. In this review, using evidence from human studies and murine models, an integrated view on the potential mechanisms underlying placental pathologies in malaria in pregnancy is provided. The molecular, immunological and metabolic changes in infected placentas that reflect their responses to the parasitic infection and injury are discussed. Finally, potential models that can be used by researchers to improve our understanding on the pathogenesis of malaria in pregnancy and placental pathologies are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Long Ernest Ong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Tsin Wen Yeo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- National Center for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew Teo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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