The lipid moiety of haemozoin (Malaria Pigment) and P. falciparum parasitised red blood cells bind synthetic and native endothelin-1

J Biomed Biotechnol. 2010:2010:854927. doi: 10.1155/2010/854927. Epub 2010 Feb 24.

Abstract

Endothelin1 (ET-1) is a 21-amino acid peptide produced by the vascular endothelium under hypoxia, that acts locally as regulator of vascular tone and inflammation. The role of ET-1 in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is unknown, although tissue hypoxia is frequent as a result of the cytoadherence of parasitized red blood cell (pRBC) to the microvasculature. Here, we show that both synthetic and endothelial-derived ET-1 are removed by parasitized RBC (D10 and W2 strains, chloroquine sensitive, and resistant, resp.) and native haemozoin (HZ, malaria pigment), but not by normal RBC, delipidized HZ, or synthetic beta-haematin (BH). The effect is dose dependent, selective for ET-1, but not for its precursor, big ET-1, and not due to the proteolysis of ET-1. The results indicate that ET-1 binds to the lipids moiety of HZ and membranes of infected RBCs. These findings may help understanding the consequences of parasite sequestration in severe malaria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Endothelial Cells
  • Endothelin-1 / chemistry
  • Endothelin-1 / genetics
  • Endothelin-1 / metabolism*
  • Erythrocytes / metabolism*
  • Erythrocytes / parasitology*
  • Hemeproteins / chemistry
  • Hemeproteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lipids
  • Malaria, Falciparum / blood*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology
  • Plasmodium falciparum / chemistry
  • Plasmodium falciparum / metabolism*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Endothelin-1
  • Hemeproteins
  • Lipids
  • hemozoin