Ultrastructure of erythrocytes from Aotus trivirgatus and Saimiri sciureus monkeys infected by Plasmodium vivax.

Erythrocytes from Aotus and Saimiri monkeys parasitized by Plasmodium vivax show dramatic changes starting during the early stages of parasite development. Invaginations of the erythrocyte membrane, caveolae, are found during all parasite development stages. Up to six vesicles can be fused with one caveola, forming a caveola-vesicle complex. As the parasite grows, large accumulations of these vesicles can be seen within the erythrocyte cytoplasm. In addition to these caveolae-vesicle complexes, knob-like structures appear on the erythrocyte surface that are similar to those seen on the host-cell surface of P. falciparum-infected red cells. Extensive membrane-bound clefts spread throughout the erythrocytic cytoplasm, sometimes forming stacks or large whorls. The density of the red cell cytoplasm begins to decrease at an early stage of parasite development. All of these changes may be responsible for an increased fragility of the P. vivax-infected red cell from Aotus or Saimiri monkeys. Moreover, the large amount of parasite material that is released during rupture of the red cell may account for the high fever paroxysms that are characteristic of P. vivax malaria infection.