Abstract
Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, are frequently observed in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, the correlation between malaria intestinal pathology and intestinal microbiota has not been investigated. In the present study, infection of C57BL/6 mice with P. berghei ANKA (PbA) caused intestinal pathological changes, such as detachment of epithelia in the small intestines and increased intestinal permeability, which correlated with development with experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). Notably, an apparent dysbiosis occurred, characterized by a reduction of Firmicutes and an increase in Proteobacteria. Furthermore, some genera of microbiota correlated with parasite growth and/or ECM development. By contrast, BALB/c mice are resistant to ECM and exhibit milder intestinal pathology and dysbiosis. These results indicate that the severity of cerebral and intestinal pathology coincides with the degree of alteration in microbiota. This is the first report demonstrating that malaria affects intestinal microbiota and causes dysbiosis.
Highlights
Duodenum[5], width extension and shortening of villi[6], and bleeding due to ruptures of the villi or other mucosal components[7]
We investigated the intestinal pathology and changes in intestinal microbiota following infection with P. berghei ANKA (PbA), which causes experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) in C57BL/6 (B6) mice but not insensitive BALB/c mice
Our results revealed that intestinal pathology was more severe in B6 mice infected with PbA and was associated with marked changes in microbiota compared with BALB/c mice
Summary
Duodenum[5], width extension and shortening of villi[6], and bleeding due to ruptures of the villi or other mucosal components[7]. Given the evidence described above, we speculated that severe malaria affecting the central nervous system and intestines might alter the intestinal microbiota. It remains unknown whether intestinal microbiota are involved in host-parasite interactions during malaria. Our results revealed that intestinal pathology was more severe in B6 mice infected with PbA and was associated with marked changes in microbiota compared with BALB/c mice. These results support the involvement of intestinal microbiota in host-parasite interactions during malaria infection
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