Background: Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis (P. y. nigeriensis) produces lethal malaria infection in Swiss albino mice. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide along with endogenously produced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria.
Objective: Study the effect of TNF on hepatic oxidative stress and antioxidant defense indices in normal and P. y. nigeriensis infected mice.
Methods: Mice were divided into four groups. Normal group, TNF treated group, P. y. nigeriensis infected group, and P. y. nigeriensis infected mice treated with TNF group (250 microg/kg body weight, i.p.).
Results: TNF treatment of normal mice caused a highly significant decrease in hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) while changes in other oxidative stress and antioxidant defense indices were nonsignificant. On the other hand, TNF treatment of P. y. nigeriensis infected mice caused a highly significant increase in hepatic xanthine oxidase, lipid peroxidation and a significant decrease in hepatic SOD with respect to infected mice.
Conclusion: These results suggest that exogenous TNF acts synergistically with P. y. nigeriensis infection to generate oxidative stress in the host and also causes an impairment of antioxidant defense enzyme such as superoxide dismutase.