The effects of dyslipidaemia and cholesterol modulation on erythrocyte susceptibility to malaria parasite infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Malaria disease commences when blood-stage parasites, called merozoites, invade human erythrocytes. Whilst the process of invasion is traditionally seen as being entirely merozoite-driven, emerging data suggests erythrocyte biophysical properties markedly influence invasion. Cholesterol is a major determinant of cell membrane biophysical properties demanding its interrogation as a potential mediator of resistance to merozoite invasion of the erythrocyte.

Methods

Biophysical measurements of erythrocyte deformability by flicker spectroscopy were used to assess changes in erythrocyte bending modulus on forced integration of cholesterol and how these artificial changes affect invasion by human Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. To validate these observations in a natur

SUBMITTER: Koch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6884832 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature