Splenohepatomegaly in Protein-Malourished Mice Infected with Plasmodium Vinckei

Cellular and histopathological observations were made with light microscopy during the Plasmodium vinckeiinfection inprotein-malnourished mice (fed on 2% casein diet and para-aminobenzoic acid deficient diet (PABA-DD).In the infectedspleen, hyperplasia of the red as well as the white pulp was evident; active erythropoiesis and lymphopoiesis. Hyperemia anddeposition of malarial pigments inside the macrophages.Cloudy swelling was noticed in the swollen hepatic cells of the uninfected liver due to protein deficiency. This lesion haddeveloped to fatty infiltration in the infected protein-malnourished mice. These new and interesting changes represent thecombined deleterious effect upon the host of infection and protein-malnutrition. Hypertrophy of the kupffer cells due toprogressive phagocytosis of malarial pigments. In addition, focal necrosis surrounded by inflammatory cells was seen.