A new model of pregnacy-associated malaria for inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in ICR mice

Abstract

Abstract Backgroud：Based on understanding of placental pathological features and safe medication in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM), establishment of a stable pregnant mice infection model with Plasmodium was urgently needed. Methods: ICR mice were randomly divided into pre-pregnancy infection, post-pregnancy infection, and uninfected pregnancy cohorts. The mice were inoculated with 1×106 Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs by intraperitoneal injection, and the same amount of saline was given to uninfected pregnancy group. We recorded the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the amounts of offspring in each group. Results: The pre-pregnancy infection group mice were unable to conceive normally, and vaginal bleeding, abortion, or stillbirth appeared in the post-pregnancy infection 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 1×106 Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs can establish a murine model of post-pregnancy malaria infection.