Supplementation with Abscisic Acid Reduces Malaria Disease Severity and Parasite Transmission.

ABSTRACT: Nearly half of the world's population is at risk for malaria. Increasing drug resistance has intensified the need for novel therapeutics, including treatments with intrinsic transmission-blocking properties. In this study, we demonstrate that the isoprenoid abscisic acid (ABA) modulates signaling in the mammalian host to reduce parasitemia and the formation of transmissible gametocytes and in the mosquito host to reduce parasite infection. Oral ABA supplementation in a mouse model of malaria was well tolerated and led to reduced pathology and enhanced gene expression in the liver and spleen consistent with infection recovery. Oral ABA supplementation also increased mouse plasma ABA to levels that can signal in the mosquito midgut upon blood ingestion. Accordingly, we showed that supplement

SUBMITTER: Glennon EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4889743 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature