EFFECT OF FATTY-ACID TREATMENT IN CEREBRAL MALARIA-SUSCEPTIBLE AND NONSUSCEPTIBLE STRAINS OF MICE

Cerebral malaria-susceptible (C57BL/6) mice infected with Plasmodium b erghei ANKA (PbA) developed low parasitemia and died from typical neur ological symptoms between 8 to 10 days after infection. In contrast, n onsusceptible (BALB/c) mice developed high peripheral blood parasitemi a and died 22-24 days later without neurological implications. Daily i njections of fatty acids (FA) during the first 3 days after infection protected C57BL/6 mice from cerebral symptoms but had no effect on BAL B/c mice. Thus, treated C57BL/6 mice developed hyperparasitemia and di ed 25 days after infection, like BALB/c mice. Red blood cells from C57 BL/6 control mice were found to be more resistant to lysis by linoleic acid than those of BALB/c mice. Three days following infection with P bA, these differences disappeared. Treatment with FA prevented these c hanges. We concluded that the host's cells were altered soon after inf ection and that the nature and degree of alterations depended on the m ouse strain, thus determining the eventual outcome of the infection. L ikewise, the effects of FA might not be directed against the parasite but rather seem to act early after infection on these parasite-induced modifications of host cells.