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 . /
Financial support IEC/SVS/MS; UEPA; CNPq (PIBIC).