Abstract
Increased resistance to the first-line treatment against P. falciparum malaria, artemisinin-based combination therapies, has been reported. Here, we tested the effect of crude ethanolic extract of the fungus Trichoderma stromaticum (Ext-Ts) on the growth of P. falciparum NF54 in infected human red blood cells (ihRBCs) and its anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory properties in a mouse model of experimental cerebral malaria. For this purpose, ihRBCs were treated with Ext-Ts and analysed for parasitaemia; C57BL/6 mice were infected with P. berghei ANKA (PbA), treated daily with Ext-Ts, and clinical, biochemical, histological and immunological features of the disease were monitored. It was observed that Ext-Ts presented a dose-dependent ability to control P. falciparum in ihRBCs. In addition, it was demonstrated that Ext-Ts treatment of PbA-infected mice was able to increase survival, prevent neurological signs and decrease parasitaemia at the beginning of infection. These effects were associated with systemically decreased levels of lipids and IFN-γ, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and CCR5 cerebral expression, preserving blood brain barrier integrity and attenuating the inflammatory lesions in the brain, liver and lungs. These results suggest that Ext-Ts could be a source of immunomodulatory and antimalarial compounds that could improve the treatment of cerebral malaria.