Expression of erythropoietic cytokines in α-tocopherol transfer protein knockout mice with murine malaria infection.

Malaria infection leads to anemia in humans which generally occurs during the chronic phase of the infection. The role that erythropoietic molecules play for anemia during malaria at low parasitemia levels is still controversial due to the lack of suitable animal models which might mimic this condition. In this regard, α-tocopherol transfer protein knockout mice, with undetectable levels of vitamin E in circulation, were possibly used as a model to investigate the role that erythropoietic molecules such as erythropoietin (EPO), erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) play on the outcome of anemia during uncomplicated malaria infection at low parasitemias. The results indicate that the degree of parasitemia unlikely plays any important effect on mRNA expression of EPO and EPOR in different organs. Moreover, even though EPO and EPOR productions are impaired in the kidney and bone marrow, respectively, other organs such as the liver and spleen intend to compensate production of these cytokines to prevent anemia in the infected animals.