Time of day and circadian disruption influence host response and parasite growth in a mouse model of cerebral malaria

Priscilla Carvalho Cabral; Joelle Weinerman; Martin Olivier; Nicolas Cermakian

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.109684

Time of day and circadian disruption influence host response and parasite growth in a mouse model of cerebral malaria

iScience. 2024 Apr 8;27(5):109684. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109684. eCollection 2024 May 17.

Authors

Priscilla Carvalho Cabral^{1

2}, Joelle Weinerman¹, Martin Olivier^{2

3}, Nicolas Cermakian¹

Affiliations

¹ Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
³ Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.

Abstract

Malaria is a disease caused by infection with parasite Plasmodium spp. We studied the circadian regulation of host responses to the parasite, in a mouse model of cerebral malaria. The course of the disease was markedly affected by time of infection, with decreased parasitemia and increased inflammation upon infection in the middle of the night. At this time, there were fewer reticulocytes, which are target cells of the parasites. We next investigated the effects of desynchronization of host clocks on the infection: after 10 weeks of recurrent jet lags, mice showed decreased parasite growth and lack of parasite load rhythmicity, paralleled by a loss of glucose rhythm. Accordingly, disrupting host metabolic rhythms impacted parasite load rhythmicity. In summary, our findings of a circadian modulation of malaria parasite growth and infection shed light on aspects of the disease relevant to human malaria and could contribute to new therapeutic or prophylactic measures.

Keywords: Medical Microbiology; Parasitology.