Plasmodium falciparum: Differing effects of non-esterified fatty acids and phospholipids on intraerythrocytic growth in serum-free medium

• Published in: Experimental parasitology 2011-03, Vol.127 (3), p.708-713
• Main Authors: Asahi, Hiroko, Izumiyama, Shinji, Tolba, Mohammed Essa Marghany, Kwansa-Bentum, Bethel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: albumins; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; cattle; culture media; Culture Media, Serum-Free; Erythrocytes - parasitology; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - pharmacology; Flow Cytometry; free fatty acids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intraerythrocytic growth; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; Malaria; Medical sciences; merozoites; Non-esterified fatty acid; palmitic acid; parasites; Parasitic diseases; parasitology; Phospholipids; Phospholipids - pharmacology; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects; Plasmodium falciparum - growth & development; Protozoa; Protozoal diseases; schizogony; Serum-free medium; stearic acid
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.11.001

[Display omitted] ► Effects of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and phospholipids on intraerythrocytic growth of Plasmodium falciparum were investigated in serum-free medium. ► Different combinations of NEFA had variable effects on each developmental stage of P. falciparum in the presence or absence of phospholipids, depending on certain structural characteristics of NEFA, such as carbon-chain length, degree and position of unsaturation, and isomerism. ► Four typical growth patterns indicating complete growth, suppressed schizogony, suppressed formation of merozoites, and inhibited invasion of merozoites resulted from culture in various combinations of lipids. ► Different NEFA exerted distinct roles in erythrocytic growth of the parasite by sustaining development at different stages. Different combinations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) had variable effects on intraerythrocytic growth of Plasmodium falciparum. All stages of the parasite cultured in medium supplemented with cis-9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1-cis-9), hexadecanoic acid (C16:0), phospholipids (Pld) and bovine albumin free of NEFA were similar to those grown in complete growth medium. Three typical growth patterns indicating suppressed schizogony (SS), suppressed formation of merozoites (SMF), and inhibited invasion of merozoites (IMI) resulted from culture in other combinations of lipids. Unsaturated or saturated NEFA with longer or shorter carbon chains than C18:1-cis-9 or C16:0, higher degree of unsaturation, and trans-forms mainly resulted in SS and SMF effects. However, IMI or partial IMI was observed with tetradecanoic acid or octadecanoic acid enriched with C18:1-cis-9, and cis-9-hexadecenoic acid plus C16:0. Isoforms of C18:1-cis-9 also mainly resulted in partial IMI. SMF also occurred with C18:1-cis-9 plus C16:0 in the absence of Pld. Thus different NEFA exerted distinct roles in erythrocytic growth of the parasite by sustaining development at different stages.