Phanthip Chaweeborisuit. Morphological and histological changes in livers and spleens of plasmodium-infected mice before and after dexamethasone treatment. Master's Degree(Anatomy). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 2009.
Morphological and histological changes in livers and spleens of plasmodium-infected mice before and after dexamethasone treatment
Abstract:
The study investigated dexamethasone effect at different administration times
on morphological and histological of livers and spleens of mice infected with
Plasmodium yoelii 17X (lethal) strain. Twenty-five ICR mice were used and
divided into five groups equally. Group 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were served as control,
Plasmodium yoelii infection only, twenty days of dexamethasone administration
only, dexamethasone administration before P. yoelii infection, dexamethasone
administration after P. yoelii infection, respectively. Percent parasitemia were
checked daily by Giemsa staining and statistical analyzed by using one way-
ANOVA. Livers and spleens of all mice were finally removed followed by
measuring of sizes and weights. Colors of these two organs were also observed
before taking them for processing, via the light microscopic technique. Percent
parasitemia was found to be significantly difference between group 2 and 4, group
2 and 5 and group 4 and 5 (p < 0.01). All mice in group 2 and 4 died at the same
day (day 7) whereas all mice in group 5 could live until day 13. Sizes, weights and
colors of livers and spleens were detected differently among mice groups.
Histologically, comparing to control mice, livers from mice in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5
were found to have swollen hepatocytes whereas groups 2, 4 and 5 had detected
also the deposit of hemozoins in sinusoids and leukocytes infiltration. For spleen,
normal and parasitized spleens showed no clear zones of red and white pulps,
whereas dexamethasone-treated spleens displayed clear zone between these two
pulps with germinal centers. In conclusion, using dexamethasone for a long time
might lead to abnormal organs, both morphological and histological aspects. In
addition, the infection from the parasite also lead to unhealthy organs. Although,
in mice, dexamethasone seems not to prevent parasite infection as it was observed
all mice in both groups 2 and 4 died at the same day. However, it could help
decelerate the growth of the parasite in infected mice a hundread percent, as all
mice in group 5 survived six days longer