Effect of Brugia pahangi co-infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Helminth-host-environment interactions: Looking down from the tip of the iceberg

“…Several lab models have been used to investigate the impact of filarial and intestinal nematodes on malaria, and many (but not all) show that nematode infection reduces Plasmodium parasitemia and host pathology. Despite higher early weight loss, pre-infection of gerbils with Brugia pahangi larvae lowered Plasmodium berghei parasitemia, reduced the drop in body temperature and hemoglobin and glucose concentrations, and prolonged survival compared to gerbils infected only with P. berghei (Junaid et al 2020). Pre-infection with Trichinella spiralis similarly lowered P. berghei parasitemia, although liver pathology and mouse survival were unchanged (Mei et al 2020).…”

Immunocytochemical localization of calbindin-D28K, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) visual cortex

“…However, the gerbil, a small mammal in the rodent family, has recently emerged as a useful animal model in several areas of biomedical research owing to its distinctive anatomical and physiological characteristics [9]. For example, the gerbil has been used to study bacterial infection [10], parasitic disease [11][12][13], hormones [14], the immune system [15], nephropathy [16], type 2 diabetes [17], and cancer [18]. In the field of neuroscience, researchers have also used the gerbil for various studies, notably pertaining to brain development [19], behavior [20], experimental epilepsy [21], ischemia [22][23][24], memory deficits [25], adaptation to auditory stimulation [26], and early sensory loss [27].…”