Sex steroids can determine several responses in the
clinical evolution of
malaria. Seventy Balb-c
mice were randomly distributed into 7 groups (10
mice per group) G1 to G6 corresponding to castrated
females, castrated
females that received
estradiol cypionate, uncastrated
females, castrated
males, castrated
males that received intramuscular
testosterone decanoate and uncastrated
males infected with
Plasmodium berghei, and G7, the
control group. The
mice were evaluated with regard to
survival,
parasitemia,
temperature, body weight,
hemoglobin level (
anemia) and splenic index. Castrated infected
females had lower rates of
survival. In the castrated
male, the
administration of
testosterone had anegative influence on
survival. There was a progressive increase in
parasitemia without repercussions forsurvival.
Castration had a significant influence on
weight gain in
females.
Weight loss was observed in all
mice, except those in groups G2 and G5, although this bore no direct relation to
parasitemia. A significant and progressive decline in
temperature and
hemoglobin levels occurred in
mice over the
course of their
infection, which differed from the G7 group. The weight of the
spleen in relation to total
body weight did not differ among the groups of infected
mice, but was significantly higher than it was for the
control group. (AU)