Status of ammonia, glutamate, lactate and pyruvate during Plasmodium yoelii infection and pyrimethamine treatment in mice.

Ammonia, lactate, glutamate and pyruvate levels in blood, liver, brain, spleen and kidney were determined during Plasmodium yoelii infection and pyrimethamine treatment in mice. Ammonia and lactate levels showed significant increase with rise in parasitaemia except in spleen where decrease in the lactate levels was observed. The glutamate level displayed a marked decrease in blood, liver and splenic tissues, whereas, significant increase in glutamate level in kidney was observed, although its level in cerebral tissue remained unaltered. The pyruvate level in blood and liver showed a noticeable decrease but brain, spleen and kidney registered an elevation of the same due to the parasitic infection. Pyrimethamine (oral) treatment (10 mg/kg body weight) to infected mice (5-10%) for four days brought back the altered levels of the above cellular constituents in different tissues to normal, a week after cessation of drug treatment.