Evaluation of T cells infiltration inhibition in brain by immunohistochemistry during experimental cerebral malaria

Plasmodium berghei ANKA is known to be responsible for causing neurological complications in susceptible strain of mice. Despite the decades of research, pathogenesis of cerebral malaria is still unknown. Histopathological and immunofluorescent staining was performed on brain of P. berghei ANKA infected and artesunate–sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine (AS + SP) treated mice to understand the pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria in present study. Cerebral vessels were found to be congested with infected/non-infected RBCs and various leukocytes in infected mice. Immunofluorescent staining identified the localisation of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in brain of infected and treated mice. P. berghei infected mice exhibited higher expression of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in brain cortex as compared to mice treated with artesunate–sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine. No sign of injury was observed in brain of treated mice in histopathological analysis. All treated mice survived up to 1 month, whereas, all infected mice died by D15 post infection due to neuro-inflammation.