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Effects of Malaria ( Plasmodium berghei ) on the Maternal‐Fetal Relationship in Mice
Author(s) -
ODUOLA A. M. J.,
HOLBROOK T. W.,
GALBRAITH R. M.,
BANK H.,
SPICER S. S.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1982.tb02883.x
Subject(s) - plasmodium berghei , parasitemia , gestation , spleen , fetus , biology , physiology , malaria , pregnancy , andrology , medicine , immunology , plasmodium falciparum , genetics
Plasmodium berghei infection was more severe in pregnant than in nonpregnant mice. Infection initiated on gestation day 7 resulted in rapidly increasing parasitemia and deaths of all pregnant mice within 12 days, while some nonpregnant mice survived until day 21 postinfection. When mice were infected on gestation day 12 or 14, a proportion of mice died before parturition; but some animals survived to deliver living pups. Reduced birthweights and increased spleen weight to body weight ratios were seen in pups from infected mice as compared with pups from uninfected animals. Histopathological abnormalities of placentae from infected animals included degeneration of the normal labyrinthine architecture and thickening of the trophobast separating maternal and fetal blood vessels.