The role of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) in lung pathology during experimental malaria

Malaria-associated lung pathology has been a neglected area in the study of malaria complications. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an inflammatory mediator involved in lung inflammation. Using mice lacking the PAF receptor (PAFR^-/-) we investigated the relevance of signaling through the PAFR for the lung inflammatory process triggered by Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) strain infection. In PAFR^-/- mice, pulmonary inflammation was markedly reduced as demonstrated by histology, production of certain pro-inflammatory mediators, accumulation of macrophage and CD8+ T cells in the lung parenchyma and the virtual absence of changes in vascular permeability. Therefore, PAFR activation is crucial in the pathogenesis of pulmonary damage associated with PbA infection in C57Bl/6 mice.