Lung Damage Induced by Plasmodium berghei ANKA in Murine Model of Malarial Infection is Mitigated by Dietary\nSupplementation with DHA-Rich Omega‑3

Acute lung injury\n(ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome\n(ARDS) are severe complications that can occur in infections caused\nby any Plasmodium species. Due to the\nhigh lethality rate and the lack of specific treatment for ALI/ARDS,\nstudies aimed at understanding and searching for treatment strategies\nfor such complications have been fundamental. Here, we investigated\nthe protective role of dietary supplementation with DHA-rich fish\noil against lung damage induced by Plasmodium berghei ANKA in a murine model. Our results demonstrated that alveolar vascular\ndamage, lung edema, and histopathological alterations were significantly\nreduced in mice that received dietary supplementation compared to\nthose that did not receive the supplementation. Furthermore, a significant\nreduction in the number of CD8+ T lymphocytes, in addition to reduced\ninfiltration of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid\nwas also observed. High levels of IL-10, but not of TNF-α and\nIFN-γ, were also observed in infected mice that received the\nsupplementation, along with a reduction in local oxidative stress.\nTogether, the data suggest that dietary supplementation with DHA-rich\nfish oil in malarial endemic areas may help reduce lung damage resulting\nfrom the infection, thus preventing worsening of the condition.