Bleomycin-detectable iron in plasma from Plasmodium vinckei vinckei-infected mice

Plasma from mice heavily parasitized by Plasmodium vinckei vinckei was found to contain micromolar levels of iron as detected by the 'bleomycin assay' (slightly modified) of Gutteridge et al. [(1981) Biochem. J. 199, 263-265]. Uninfected mouse plasma contained little or no bleomycin-detectable iron. Plasma ultrafiltrate from infected mice contained no bleomycin-detectable iron, indicating that such iron was associated with the protein/macromolecule fraction. We speculate that this iron could catalyse reduction of peroxides in vivo and thus play a role in malaria pathology.