X-ray microanalysis of Plasmodium falciparum and infected red blood cells: effects of qinghaosu and chloroquine on potassium, sodium, and phosphorus composition

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6769217

Lee, P; Ye, Z; Van Dyke, K; Kirk, R G

Cryosections of human red blood cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum were analyzed by energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis to determine the elemental composition of the parasites and their red cell hosts separately. The effects of two antimalarial drugs, qinghaosu and chloroquine, on potassium, sodium, and phosphorus concentrations were studied. Malarial infection causes a decrease in potassium concentration and an increase in sodium concentration in the host red cells. The drastic change in the cation composition, however, occurs only in red cells infected by late stage parasites (late trophozoite and schizont). Red cells infected by early stage parasites (ring stage) show only small changes in sodium concentration. Furthermore, the noninfected red cells in parasitized cultures show no difference in composition from those of normal red cells. Treatment of the parasitized cultures with qinghaosu (10(-6) M) or chloroquine (10(-6) M) for 8 hr causes phosphorus concentration of both early and late parasites to decrease. An 8 hr treatment with qinghaosu also produces a reduction in potassium and an increase in sodium concentrations in early and late parasites. In contrast, 8 hr treatment with chloroquine only causes a change in the sodium and potassium concentrations of the late stage parasites and does not affect the early stage parasites.

• Research Organization: West Virginia Univ. Medical Center, Morgantown (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6769217
• Journal Information: Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.; (United States), Vol. 39:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ERYTHROCYTES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
PLASMODIUM
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
IN VITRO
INFECTIVITY
MAN
PHOSPHORUS
POTASSIUM
SODIUM
ALKALI METALS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ELEMENTS
INVERTEBRATES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROANALYSIS
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
PARASITES
PRIMATES
PROTOZOA
SPOROZOA
VERTEBRATES
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques
550901 - Pathology- Tracer Techniques