Estabelecimento de Calomys callosus como modelo experimental para estudo de malária gestacional

Abstract

Gestational malaria is a parasitic disease that represents an important public health problem, and when present during pregnancy it may be associated with maternal and fetal complications. Mus musculus is widely used as an experimental model for the study of malaria; however, it presents limitations related to immunological and pathophysiological differences compared to humans, particularly regarding placental alterations. These limitations highlight the need to investigate alternative models that can reproduce the maternal-fetal interaction observed in gestational malaria. In this context, Calomys callosus has been described in the literature as a relevant experimental model for the study of parasitic infections, especially in investigations related to vertical transmission and maternal-fetal response. In addition, this species presents biological characteristics that may favor the analysis of gestational alterations, making it a potentially useful alternative to complement traditional murine models. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the applicability of C. callosus as an experimental model for the investigation of gestational malaria. Pregnant C. callosus females were experimentally infected with a dose of 10⁷ parasitized erythrocytes of Plasmodium berghei ANKA and compared to non-infected females. Reproductive parameters were evaluated, including number of offspring and final gestational weight, as well as splenic weight of the females. Macroscopic analyses of fetuses and placentas were also performed, as well as histological evaluation of offspring tissues, including lung, liver, spleen, and brain. Additionally, morphometric analysis of the area of pulmonary alveolar septa was performed. The results did not show histological or placental alterations associated with infection under the experimental conditions analyzed. Likewise, although variations were observed in some reproductive parameters, most did not present statistically significant differences between the evaluated groups. Even so, the data obtained contribute to the initial characterization of the maternal-fetal response to Plasmodium infection in this experimental model, providing support for future investigations and for the improvement of experimental designs aimed at the study of gestational malaria.