Intraerythrocytic calcium chelators inhibit the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum.

Calcium is an important factor in the invasion of the erythrocyte by Plasmodium falciparum. We have proposed that the entrance of the cation into the erythrocyte might be a messenger that triggers a series of molecular events leading to invasion. Other authors have proposed that the site of action of the calcium is extracellular. We show herein that the invasion is inhibited by intracellular calcium chelators and that the inhibition depends on the intracellular concentration of the chelators and on the calcium concentration in the medium.