The effects of nitroquine on the ultrastructures of nitraery-throcytic stage of Plasmodium yoelii in mice / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

After a single oral dosed mg/kg) of nitroquine to the mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii,the morphological changes of the parasites were studied with optical and electron microscopy.Enlarged nucleus and some red granules scattered over the cytoplasm in the late trophozoites were observed under optical microscope,which may correspond to the autophagocytic vacuo-les or membranous residual bodies seen under electron microscope.Thirty minutes after the drug administration,the number of mitochondria with matrix cavitation was increased,the endoplasmic reticulum dilated,and ribosomes separated,detached,or disaggregated.Then the pelliculous complex and nuclear membrane of the parasites proliferated to form multi-layered structure with spiral curv?s or myelin sheath-like structure in the cytoplasm.The nuclear membrane was swollen and proliferated and the perinuclear cisterna was widened.In the late stage of drug action,the structure of the parasites was broken down to form a large number of autophagocytes.The findings indicate that nitroquine interferes with the structure and function of the cell membrane,cytoplasm and nucleus of malaria parasites and exerts its anti-malarial effects from many aspects.