Anxiety-like behavior and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the brain of C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (strain ANKA)

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2011-03, Vol.491 (3), p.202-206
• Main Authors: de Miranda, Aline Silva, Lacerda-Queiroz, Norinne, de Carvalho Vilela, Márcia, Rodrigues, David Henrique, Rachid, Milene Alvarenga, Quevedo, João, Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anxiety - immunology; Anxiety - parasitology; Anxiety - physiopathology; Anxiety-like behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - immunology; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Cerebral malaria; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Elevated plus maze; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Inflammation - parasitology; Inflammation - pathology; Inflammation - physiopathology; Inflammatory cytokines; Malaria, Cerebral - immunology; Malaria, Cerebral - pathology; Malaria, Cerebral - physiopathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - immunology; Plasmodium falciparum; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.01.038

▶ Cerebral malaria mice presented anxiety symptoms in the elevated plus maze. ▶ Infected mice presented increased levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the brain. ▶ No significant difference was found in brain levels of IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ. ▶ Proinflammatory cytokines may be involved in anxiety symptoms in cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection. The underlying mechanisms of CM pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. The imbalance between the release of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines has been associated with central nervous system dysfunction found in human and experimental CM. The current study investigated anxiety-like behavior, histopathological changes and release of brain cytokines in C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei strain ANKA (PbA). Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in control and PbA-infected mice using the elevated plus maze test. Histopathological changes in brain tissue were assessed by haematoxylin and eosin staining. Brain concentration of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ was determined by ELISA. We found that PbA-infected mice on day 5 post-infection presented anxiety symptoms, histopathological alterations in the brainstem, cerebrum and hippocampus and increased cerebral levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. These findings suggest an involvement of central nervous system inflammatory mediators in anxiety symptoms found in CM.