PURPOSE: To accomplish a histopathological analysis of ocular structures, that is, uveal and retinal tract in a murine model that closely resembles human cerebral malaria and to correlate the ocular alterations with findings in the target organ such as the brain. METHODS: We used mice of isogenic lineage (CBA/J) for they develop malaria, actually the neurological form (cerebral malaria) when inoculated with Plasmodium berghei (ANKA). We performed an intraperitoneal inoculation and parasitemia was obtained daily. To correlate the changes with malaria development, the mice were sacrificed on the 3th, 7th and 9 th day of infection. After the enucleation, the eyeball was fixed in Bouin solution for later inclusion in paraffin. The obtained sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Gomori's trichrome and Giemsa. RESULTS: Malarial pigments (hemozoyn) were observed in several ocular structures in the initial phase of the disease, also endothelial changes in retinal vessels, monocyte adhesion and parasitized erythrocyte clogging of retinal and choroid vessels (sequestration) in the latest stage of infection. Parasitemia levels showed an ascending and critical curve by the seventh day. In this model we observed similar changes that occur in other organs, such as the brain. CONCLUSION: The malaria murine model permits correlation of the ocular features with those other of target organs. The sequestration of late stage parasitized red cells accounts for most ocular changes in malaria, probably on the basis of obstructive phenomena, similar to the process which involves the central nervous system.
Malaria; Malaria; Cerebral malaria; Plasmodium berghei; Eye; Retinal hemorrhage; Retinal diseases; Parasitic eye infections; Mice
