Proteolytic activity study in Plasmodium and modulation of kallikrein-kinin system in infected livers

Abstract

Malaria is a major public health problem, responsible for many deaths annually worldwide. The parasite responsible for this disease belongs to the genus Plasmodium.The proteolytic activity of Plasmodium is an essential biochemical process that is involved in key events in the development of the parasite, the invasion and egress of erythrocytes, hemoglobin degradation for the acquisition of amino acids, among others.Mechanisms of cell signaling as calcium homeostasis and protein phosphorylation are important in eukaryotic cells, but it is a subject little studied in the modulation of intracellular proteolytic activity.Kinins are vasoactive peptides generated from proteolytic cleavage of their precursors, the Kininogens, which are synthesized by the liver. Bradykinin also an important inflammatory mediator can cause vasoconstriction in the liver.The infection by the malaria parasite, to trigger a systemic inflammatory process can alter the signaling by kinins in different tissues of the host. In this context we intend to evaluate the action of proteases of the malaria parasite on Kininogens / kinin and modifications liver resulting from infection by Plasmodium and thus to understand the pathophysiology to better targeting of malaria interventions.