A model of pregnancy-associated malaria for inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in ICR mouse

Based on understanding of placental pathological features and safe medication in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM), establishment of a stable pregnant mouse infection model with Plasmodium was urgently needed.

ICR mice with vaginal plugs detected were randomly divided into post-pregnancy infection (Malaria⁺) and uninfected pregnancy (Malaria^-) cohorts. Age-matched mice that had not been mated were infected as pre-pregnancy infection group (Virgin control), which were subsequently mated with ICR males. All mice were inoculated with 1 × 10⁶Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs by intraperitoneal injection, and the same amount of saline was given to Malaria^- group. We recorded the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the amounts of offspring in each group.

The Virgin group mice were unable to conceive normally, and vaginal bleeding, abortion, or stillbirth appeared in the Malaria⁺ group. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was extremely high and statistically significant compared with the control (Malaria^-) group (P < 0.05), of which placenta exhibited pathological features associated with human gestational malaria.

The intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 10⁶Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected RBCs could establish a model of pregnancy-associated malaria in ICR mouse.