Role of angiotensin pathway and its target therapy to rescue from experimental cerebral malaria

Abstract

Cerebral malaria (CM) induced by Plasmodium falciparum is a devastating neurological complication that may lead the patient to coma and death. This study aimed to protect Plasmodium-infected C57BL6 mice from CM by targeting the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor, which is considered the common connecting link between hypertension and CM. In CM, AT-1 mediates blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage through the overexpression of β-catenin. The AT-1-inhibiting drugs, such as irbesartan and losartan, were evaluated for the prevention of CM. The effectiveness of these drugs was determined by the down regulation of β-catenin, TCF, LEF, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 in the drug-treated groups. The expression levels of VE-cadherin and vinculin, essential for the maintenance of BBB integrity, were found to be restored in the drug-treated groups. The pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were decreased, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels increased with the treatment. As a major highlight, the mean survival time of treated mice was found to be increased even in the absence of treatment with an anti-malarial agent. The combination of irbesartan or losartan with the anti-malarial agent α/β-arteether has contributed to an 80% cure rate, which is higher than the 60% cure rate observed with α/β-arteether alone treatment.

Keywords: Angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1); Arteether; Cerebral malaria; Irbesartan; Losartan.