Reactive oxygen species generation by Kupffer cells and blood monocytes of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei and the chloroquine treatment.

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by blood monocytes and Kupffer cells of normal and Plasmodium berghei infected mice treated at different levels of parasitaemia with chloroquine, were studied. Cells isolated at lower level of parasitaemia (less than 2%) produced ROS within the range of normal animals, whereas ROS production by the cells isolated from the animals at higher level of parasitaemia (greater than 20%), was significantly higher even without stimulation with latex particles. The ROS generation capacity of both normal and infected animals was less after the chloroquine treatment. This inhibitory effect of chloroquine may be beneficial in protecting the host from the adverse effect of reactive oxygen species by controlling their overproduction.