Laser-induced inactivation of Plasmodium falciparum.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Haemozoin crystals, produced by Plasmodium during its intra-erythrocytic asexual reproduction cycle, can generate UV light via the laser-induced, non-linear optical process of third harmonic generation (THG). In the current study the feasibility of using haemozoin, constitutively stored in the parasite's food vacuole, to kill the parasite by irradiation with a near IR laser was evaluated.

Methods

Cultured Plasmodium parasites at different stages of development were irradiated with a pulsed NIR laser and the viability of parasites at each stage was evaluated from their corresponding growth curves using the continuous culture method. Additional testing for germicidal effects of haemozoin and NIR laser was performed by adding synthetic haemozoin crystals to Escherich

SUBMITTER: LeBlanc D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3464159 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature