Histologic Findings in Bone Marrow of Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Experimentally Infected with Simian Plasmodium and Comparison of Decalcification Solutions Used in Processing of the Bone Marrows

Abstract

Malaria, an infectious disease caused by a protozoal parasite (Plasmodium spp.), currently kills more than 1 million people annually. The infection causes disease in young children and pregnant women in Africa and in many developing countries. In humans, malaria infection induces neurologic impairment, anemia, hypoglycemia, and low birth weight and interferes with normal development and survival. Experimental animal models have been extensively used in malaria research for pathogenesis studies and in drug and vaccine development. We describe here the histologic findings in the bone marrows of rhesus macaques (Macaca Mulatta) experimentally infected with simian malaria (Plasmodium knowlesi). In addition, we compare two histological techniques and discuss decalcification solutions and other pertinent procedures of critical importance in the evaluation of these bone marrow specimens. (The J Histotechnol 32(4):172–174, 2009)