Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T06:45:04.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Intra-erythrocytic death of the parasite in mice recovering from infection with Babesia microt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

I. A. Clark
Affiliation:
Division of Cell Pathology, Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow.
J. E. Richmond
Affiliation:
Division of Cell Pathology, Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow.
E. J. Wills
Affiliation:
Division of Cell Pathology, Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow.
A. C. Allison
Affiliation:
Division of Cell Pathology, Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow.

Extract

As mice recover from infection with Babesia microti, abnormal forms of the parasite are present in some red cells. These forms are non-infective, indistinguishable by light microscopy from those present after treatment with amicarbalide, a babesicidal drug, and persist in splenectomized mice.

Electron microscopy confirmed that these abnormal forms are degenerating intra-erythrocytic parasites. In the absence of evidence for death of B. microti elsewhere in the body, it appears that infections of mice with this parasite are normally terminated by their death within circulating red cells. This has important implications for the mechanism of immunity to both this parasite and those Plasmodium spp. with which it cross-protects in this host.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aikawa, M. & Beaudoin, R. L. (1969). Effects of chloroquine on the morphology of the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium gallinaceum. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 18, 166–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aikawa, M. & Sterling, C. R. (1974). Intracellular Parasitic Protozoa. New York: Academic PressGoogle Scholar
Ben Harel, S. (1923). Studies of bird malaria in relation to the mechanism of relapse. American Journal of Hygiene 3, 652–90.Google Scholar
Clark, I. A., Allison, A. C. & Cox, F. E. G. (1976). Protection of mice against Babesia and Plasmodium with BCG. Nature, London 259, 309–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, I. A., Cox, F. E. G. & Allison, A. C. (1977). Protection of mice against Babesia spp. and Plasmodium spp. with killed Corynebacterium parvum. Parasitology 74, 918.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, I. A., Richmond, J. E., Wills, E. J. & Allison, A. C. (1975). Immunity to intraerythrocytic protozoa. Lancet 2, 1128–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, S., Butcher, G. A. & Crandall, R. B. (1969). Action of malarial antibody in vitro. Nature, London 223, 368–71.Google ScholarPubMed
Cox, F. E. G. (1970). Protective immunity between malaria parasites and piroplasms in mice. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 43, 325–36.Google ScholarPubMed
Cox, F. E. G. & Turner, S. A. (1970). Antigenic relationships between malaria parasites and piroplasms of mice as determined by the fluorescent-antibody technique. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 43, 337–40.Google ScholarPubMed
Hirsch, J. G. & Fedorko, M. E. (1968). Ultrastructure of human leucocytes after simultaneous fixation with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and ‘postfixation’ in uranyl acetate. Journal of Cell Biology 38, 615–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Langreth, S. G. (1976). Feeding mechanisms in extracellular Babesia microti and Plasmodium lophurae. Journal of Protozoology 23, 215–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luft, J. H. (1961). Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology 9, 409–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, L. H., Aikawa, M. & Dvorak, J. A. (1975). Malaria (Plasmodium knowlesi) merozoites: immunity and the surface coat. Journal of Immunology 114, 1237–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nuttall, G. H. F. & Hadwen, S. (1909). The successful drug treatment of canine piroplasms, together with observations upon the effect of drugs on Piroplasma canis. Parasitology 11, 156–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Playeair, J. H. L., DeSouza, J. B. & Cottrell, B. J. (1977). Reactivity and cross-reactivity of mouse helper T-cells to malaria parasites. Immunology 32, 681–7.Google Scholar
Reynolds, E. S. (1963). The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. Journal of Cell Biology 17, 208–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rudzinska, M. (1976). Ultrastructure of intra-erythrocytic Babesia microti with emphasis on the feeding mechanism. Journal of Protozoology 23, 224–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, K., Miller, E. B. & Dameshek, W. (1941). Haematological changes following splenectomy in man. American Journal of Medical Sciences 202, 171–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tallaferro, W. H. & Tallaferro, L. G. (1944). The effect of immunity on the asexual reproduction of Plasmodium brasilianum. Journal of Infectious Diseases 75, 132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, M. L. (1958). Staining of tissue sections for electron microscopy with heavy metals. Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology 4, 475–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization. (1975). Developments in malaria immunology. WHO Technical Report Series No. 579.Google Scholar