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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
In Vivo Assessment of Rodent Plasmodium Parasitemia and Merozoite Invasion by Flow Cytometry
Published on: April 5, 2015
[Study on the relationship between intracellular free calcium and melanization in oocysts of Plasmodium yoelii]
Xi-lin Zhang1, Wen-yue Xu, Ying Wang
1Department of Pathobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038.
Objective:
To study the change of intracellular free Ca2+ in the oocyst when it melanized and to find out the relationship between the melanized oocyst and its intracellular level of free Ca2+ in a Plasmodium-refractory strain of Anopheles dirus.
Methods:
The distribution and experimental condition of the intracellular free Ca2+ in oocyst of Plasmodium yoelii was measured with Ca2+ sensitive dye Fluo-3/AM and Pluronic F-127 under confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) at different time.
Results:
The best load condition was that the oocysts were incubated in 3 mumol/ml Fluo-3/AM adding 1 microliter/ml 25% Pluronic F-127 for 60 min at 37 degrees C. Fluorescent imaging of oocysts was affected by an increase or decrease of the concentration of Fluo-3/Am and incubation time. The distribution of intracellular free Ca2+ was heterogeneous in the oocysts. The mean value of Ca2+ in the mature oocysts was (137.15 +/- 7.02) nmol/L (X +/- S) but was (18.44 +/- 1.75) nmol/L in melanized oocysts with Ca2+ sedimentation in the wall of oocyst.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that the level of the intracellular free Ca2+ in oocyst decreased and excreted during its melanization in a Plasmodium-refractory anopheline mosquito species.
