Abstract
Human cerebral malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite with no cure till date. The isolation of brain capillaries i.e. microvessels has permitted the in vitro study related to cerebral function. Microvessels were isolated from normal and Plasmodium yoelii infected mice brain cortex and were subjected to biochemical characterization by the following enzyme markers viz. Alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and monoamine oxidase and electron microscopically. Limited studies have been carried out in relation to drug metabolizing enzymes in cerebral microvessels of rodents. The present studies have been carried out in relation to status of drug metabolizing enzymes during P. yoelii infection in cerebral microvessels of mice. The data obtained depicted a clear cut impairment of cytochrome P450 (a terminal monoxygenase) and related indices viz. b5, benzopyrene hydroxylase, aminopyrine-n-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase except NADH cytochrome c reductase which increased during P. yoelii infection in mice as compared to normal. Further the oral drug administration (arteether) treatment brought back the altered MFO system to almost normal a week after cessation of drug treatment.
