First Author | Finney CA | Year | 2009 |
Journal | Am J Trop Med Hyg | Volume | 80 |
Issue | 5 | Pages | 718-22 |
PubMed ID | 19407112 | Mgi Jnum | J:172490 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5007893 | Citation | Finney CA, et al. (2009) Disruption of Nod-like receptors alters inflammatory response to infection but does not confer protection in experimental cerebral malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 80(5):718-22 |
abstractText | Research relating to host inflammatory processes during malaria infection has focused on Toll-like receptors, membrane-bound receptors implicated in innate sensing, and phagocytosis of parasitized erythrocytes by host cells. This is the first study to examine the role of Nod proteins, members of the Nod-like receptor (NLR) family of cytoplasmic proteins involved in pathogen recognition, in a murine model of cerebral malaria (Plasmodium berghei ANKA, PbA). Here, we find that nod1nod2(-/-) mice infected with PbA show no difference in survival or parasitemia compared with wild-type infected animals. However, cytokine levels, notably those associated with NLR activation including interleukin (IL)1-beta, KC, and MCP-1, and proteins linked to malaria pathogenesis, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), were decreased in the nod-1nod2(-/-) animals. We therefore demonstrate for the first time that Nod proteins are activated in response to parasites, and they play a role in regulating host inflammatory responses during malaria infection. |