Journal of Vector Borne Diseases (Dec 2005)
Hydrolytic enzyme activity in rhesus monkey placenta during early gestational malaria : histochemical studies
Abstract
Background & objectives: Early gestational malaria is found to be more fatal than late gestationalinfection but the pathophysiology of early gestational placenta, the maternofoetal organ responsiblefor maintenance of pregnancy, remains unexplored. Present study dealing with hydrolytic enzymes inearly gestational placenta of rhesus monkeys during Plasmodium cynomolgi infection was anticipatedto provide a better insight into the functional impairment of this organ during early gestationalmaternal malaria.Methods: Experimental monkeys (Macaca multtta) at 2–2½ months of pregnancy were inoculatedwith P. cynomolgi bastianelli. After attaining first peak of parasitaemia the animals were anesthetisedand placentae were collected for histochemical studies. The snap-frozen, cryostat sections weresubjected to histochemical reactions for acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase.Results: The placental syncytiotrophoblast showed a loss in alkaline phosphatase activity, while thetrophoblast layers and phagocytic cells of the maternal blood showed increased acid phosphataseactivity during early gestational malarial infection. Morphological damage to the placental tissuewhenever occurred was associated with altered Alk pase activity.Interpretation & conclusion: The altered distribution of Ac pase and Alk pase in malaria infectedearly gestational placenta has been discussed in the light of placental function. It could be concludedby present studies that these malaria induced changes in hydrolytic enzyme activities in monkeyplacenta have a direct bearing on functional and morphological integrity of the placental tissue.These changes are apparently responsible for early gestational foetal death and abortions as reportedin literature
