Plasmodium Yoelii Nigeriensis Infection And Immune Response In Mice And Rats

ABSTRACT

The Biology or Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in rodents and the reaction of rats and nice to the infection were studied. In investigations into the course of infection of Plasmodium Yoelii nigeriansis. in rats and nice, it was found that adult nice, baby nice and baby rats were susceptible to the infection, while adult rats were totally resistant. The infection was rapidly fatal in both adult and baby mice while in baby rats, it was tolerated until the animals were 7 weeks old, after which they are able to eradicate the infection Investigations conducted into the possible causes of this non susceptibility of adult rats revealed that both the serum and thoracic duct cells of these animals conveyed some immunity. The serum conveyed noticeable immunity to rodents of another species, 1.e. nice, while the thoracic duct cells conveyed total immunity to baby rats.

Some mice which exhibited a phenomenon termed “spontaneous recovery" or "self cure, that is natural recovery without the use of any drugs, exhibited an immunity which lasted for the duration of the life time of the animals. This immunity was found to be non-transferrable to the offspring as babies born to such parents exhibited the normal course or infection as other baby nice.