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Murine cerebral malaria is associated with a vasospasm-like microcirculatory dysfunction, and survival upon rescue treatment is markedly increased by nimodipine.

ABSTRACT: Brain hemodynamics in cerebral malaria (CM) is poorly understood, with apparently conflicting data showing microcirculatory hypoperfusion and normal or even increased blood flow in large arteries. Using intravital microscopy to assess the pial microvasculature through a closed cranial window in the murine model of CM by Plasmodium berghei ANKA, we show that murine CM is associated with marked decreases (mean: 60%) of pial arteriolar blood flow attributable to vasoconstriction and decreased blood velocity. Leukocyte sequestration further decreased perfusion by narrowing luminal diameters in the affected vessels and blocking capillaries. Remarkably, vascular collapse at various degrees was observed in 44% of mice with CM, which also presented more severe vasoconstriction. Coadministration of artemether and nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker used to treat postsubarachnoid hemorrhage vasospasm, to mice presenting CM markedly increased survival compared with artemether plus vehicle only. Administration of nimodipine induced vasodilation and increased pial blood flow. We conclude that vasoconstriction and vascular collapse play a role in murine CM pathogenesis and nimodipine holds potential as adjunctive therapy for CM.

SUBMITTER: Cabrales P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2832151 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Murine cerebral malaria is associated with a vasospasm-like microcirculatory dysfunction, and survival upon rescue treatment is markedly increased by nimodipine.

Cabrales Pedro P Zanini Graziela M GM Meays Diana D Frangos John A JA Carvalho Leonardo J M LJ

The American journal of pathology 20100128 3

Brain hemodynamics in cerebral malaria (CM) is poorly understood, with apparently conflicting data showing microcirculatory hypoperfusion and normal or even increased blood flow in large arteries. Using intravital microscopy to assess the pial microvasculature through a closed cranial window in the murine model of CM by Plasmodium berghei ANKA, we show that murine CM is associated with marked decreases (mean: 60%) of pial arteriolar blood flow attributable to vasoconstriction and decreased blood ...[more]

PMID: 20110412

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Project description:BackgroundHuman cerebral malaria (HCM) is a life-threatening complication caused by Plasmodium falciparum infection that continues to be a major global health problem despite optimal anti-malarial treatment. In the experimental model of cerebral malaria (ECM) by Plasmodium berghei ANKA, bolus administration of nimodipine at high doses together with artemether, increases survival of mice with ECM. However, the dose and administration route used is associated with cardiovascular side effects such as hypotension and bradycardia in humans and mice, which could preclude its potential use as adjunctive treatment in HCM.MethodsIn the present study, alternative delivery systems for nimodipine during late-stage ECM in association with artesunate were searched to define optimal protocols to achieve maximum efficacy in increasing survival in rescue therapy while causing the least cardiac side effects. The baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) and arterial pressure characteristics of uninfected control animals and of mice with ECM and its response upon rescue treatment with artesunate associated or not with nimodipine is also analysed.ResultsNimodipine, given at 0.5 mg/kg/day via a slow and continuous delivery system by osmotic pumps, increases survival of mice with ECM when used as adjunctive treatment to artesunate. Mice with ECM showed hypotension and ECG changes, including bradycardia and increases in PR, QRS, QTc and ST interval duration. ECM mice also show increased QTc dispersion, heart rate variability (HRV), RMSSD, low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands of the power spectrum. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic inputs to the heart were increased, but there was a predominance of sympathetic tone as demonstrated by an increased LF/HF ratio. Nimodipine potentiated bradycardia when given by bolus injection, but not when via osmotic pumps. In addition, nimodipine shortened PR duration and improved HRV, RMSSD, LF and HF powers in mice with ECM. In addition, nimodipine did not increased hypotension or decreased the speed of arterial pressure recovery when used in rescue therapy with artesunate.ConclusionsThese data show that slow and continuous delivery of lower doses of nimodipine improves survival of mice with ECM in rescue therapy with artesunate while showing a safer profile in terms of cardiovascular effects.

Project description:The diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm after Subarachnoid-Hemorrhage is currently very difficult, additional tools such as blood biomarkers are necessary. We tested the ability of gene expression profiles of blood cells to predict vasospasm. 32 patients suffering subarachnoid-hemorrhage were included in this prospective monocentre study. They were grouped according to have a complicated cerebral vasospasm (Vasospasm) or not (Control) and Paired according to age (+/- 10 years), sex, Fisher grade (+/- 1), location, smoking (at least 3 first parameters). Gene expression profiles of blood cells were determined using 25,000~gene microarray. Blood sample: 2.5 mL harvested in PAXgene® Blood RNA tubes (PreAnalytix) RNA extraction: PAXgene® Blood RNA kit (Qiagen). We used a Universel Reference RNA (Stratagene). RNA amplification and labelling: kit Amino Allyl MessageAmp II (Ambion). We hybridized 4 microarrays per patient using pangenomic microarrays from the "Réseau National des Génopôles" (Illkirch, France). 2 slides were hybridized with reference RNA labelled Cy3 and patient RNA labelled Cy5, and 2 slides were hybridized with reference RNA labelled Cy5 and patient RNA labelled Cy3. Hybridation : Agilent protocol with few modifications : 750 ng of each labelled RNA were hubriddized at 60°C during 17 hours in an Aglient hybridization oven. After washings, Slides were scanned with a GenePix 4000B scanner (Molecular Devices). Image intensity data were extracted with GenePix Pro 6.0 analysis software. Quantification of Cy3 and Cy5 and selection of good spots were performed using the MAIA software (Novikov E and Barillot E. Software package for automatic microarray image analysis (MAIA). The ACUITY software was then used to normalize log ratios Cy3/Cy5 with Lowess non linear normalization, to filter out genes not present in at least 3 slides out of 4, to evaluate the reproducibility of the 4 microarrays of each patient (hierarchical clustering, Self Organizing Maps). Statistical analyses to insure reproducibility was performed using Excel (correlation coefficients, ANOVA). Only slides that passed all reprocubility tests were validated.

Dataset Information

Murine cerebral malaria is associated with a vasospasm-like microcirculatory dysfunction, and survival upon rescue treatment is markedly increased by nimodipine.

Publications

Murine cerebral malaria is associated with a vasospasm-like microcirculatory dysfunction, and survival upon rescue treatment is markedly increased by nimodipine.

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