IFN-gamma plays an important role in host defense against microbial disease. Here, we studied the role of IFN-gamma in lethal and nonlethal murine malaria. Administration of recombinant murine IFN-gamma resulted in a dose-dependent protection of SW, BALB/cByJ, and CBA/J mice from the lethal variant of Plasmodium yoelii 17x (PyL) but had little effect on the course of the nonlethal variant of this parasite (PyNL). Administration of recombinant IFN-gamma also resulted in the activation of peritoneal macrophages for increased phagocytosis of malaria-infected erythrocytes and release of H2O2, as measured in vitro. The ability of spleen cells from infected mice to produce endogenous IFN-gamma and release H2O2 during the course of malaria was also studied. In BALB/cByJ mice, which are relatively susceptible to PyL and PyNL, there was an initial burst of IFN-gamma only in response to PyNL whereas in CBA/J mice, which are relatively resistant to these parasites, there was an initial burst of IFN-gamma in response to both PyL and PyNL. The kinetics of H2O2 release corresponded to that of IFN-gamma. In all infections, levels of IFN-gamma declined as parasitemia increased; however, nonlethal infections were characterized by a recovery of both IFN-gamma activity and H2O2 release as parasitemia declined. These data suggest that IFN-gamma may play an important role in modulating the course of malaria infections by activating macrophages for both intracellular and extracellular parasite destruction.
CITATION STYLE
Shear, H. L., Srinivasan, R., Nolan, T., & Ng, C. (1989). Role of IFN-gamma in lethal and nonlethal malaria in susceptible and resistant murine hosts. The Journal of Immunology, 143(6), 2038–2044. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.143.6.2038
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