Dynamic balance of pSTAT1 and pSTAT3 in C57BL/6 mice infected with lethal or nonlethal Plasmodium yoelii

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins play an important role in cytokine signaling pathways and regulation of immune responses. The balance of the phosphorylated (activated) STAT1 (pSTAT1) and STAT3 (pSTAT3) has been documented in cancer immunology. In this study, we investigated the dynamic balance of pSTAT1 and pSTAT3 in C57BL/6 mice infected with either a nonlethal (Py17XNL) or lethal (Py17XL) strain of Plasmodium yoelii. Both Py17XNL and Py17XL infections induced a maximum activation of STAT1 and STAT3 on the first day after parasite inoculation. Additionally, the Py17XNL infection induced a pSTAT1-dominant response in mice during the early stage of infection, with the resolution of parasitemia. In contrast, Py17XL infection induced a pSTAT3-dominant response during the early phase of infection, with the death of the animals. Our results indicated that maximum activation of STAT1 and STAT3 occurred much earlier than the peak levels of cytokines induced by Plasmodium yoelii infection based on previous reports and that infection with Py17XNL and Py17XL induced different dynamic patterns of pSTAT1 and pSTAT3 balance.