A model of pregnancy-associated malaria for inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in ICR mouse.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Based on understanding of placental pathological features and safe medication in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM), establishment of a stable pregnant mouse infection model with Plasmodium was urgently needed. METHODS: ICR mice with vaginal plugs detected were randomly divided into post-pregnancy infection (Malaria+) and uninfected pregnancy (Malaria-) cohorts. Age-matched mice that had not been mated were infected as pre-pregnancy infection group (Virgin control), which were subsequently mated with ICR males. All mice were inoculated with 1 × 106Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs by intraperitoneal injection, and the same amount of saline was given to Malaria- group. We recorded the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the amounts of offspring in each group. RESULTS: The Virgin group mice were unable to conceive normally, and vaginal bleeding, abortion, or stillbirth appeared in the Malaria+ group. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was extremely high and statistically significant compared with the control (Malaria-) group (P < 0.05), of which placenta exhibited pathological features associated with human gestational malaria. CONCLUSIONS: The intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs could establish a model of pregnancy-associated malaria in ICR mouse.