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Alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene inhibition enhances the acquired immune response during malaria infection in mice

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Abstract

Immune response to malaria infection is complex and seems to be regulated by innate and adaptive immune response as well as environmental factors such as host genetics and nutritional status. Previously, we have reported that α-tocopherol transfer protein knockout (α-ttpΔ) mice, showing low concentrations of α-tocopherol in circulation, infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65 survived significantly longer as compared with the wild-type mice. In addition, Plasmodium yoelii XL-17, a lethal strain, showed non-lethal virulence in α-ttpΔ mice. Thus, we hypothesized that the ability of the α-ttpΔ mice to control P. yoelli XL-17 proliferation may allow them to build an efficient immune response against murine malaria infection. On 15 days after infection with P. yoelli XL-17, α-ttpΔ mice were challenged to infection with P. berghei NK65. Results indicated that α-ttpΔ mice infected with P. yoelli XL-17 built a protective immunity against P. berghei NK65 associated to extremely low levels of parasitemia, a controlled inflammatory response, and a robust antibody response. Moreover, the importance of α−tocopherol for parasite proliferation was remarkable. The results suggest that inhibition of α-tocopherol transfer protein activity is effective for the enhancement of acquired immunity in murine malaria infection.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Alaa Terkawi for his helpful comments and advice on the preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit for Functional Genomics, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan

    Maria Shirley Herbas, Magloire Hamtandi Natama & Hiroshi Suzuki

  2. Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, 11 BP 218, Ouagadougou, CMS 11, Burkina Faso

    Magloire Hamtandi Natama

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  1. Maria Shirley Herbas
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  2. Magloire Hamtandi Natama
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  3. Hiroshi Suzuki
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Suzuki.

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Herbas, M.S., Natama, M.H. & Suzuki, H. Alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene inhibition enhances the acquired immune response during malaria infection in mice. Parasitol Res 113, 1019–1027 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3736-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3736-1

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