Parameters of renal function were evaluated in severe malarial
infection, using mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. When 7-week-old male BALB/c mice were inoculated with 1 x 10(7) P. berghei NK65-infected red blood cells, the rodents died an average of 7.4 days after inoculation.
Anemia developed on day 5 after inoculation and progressed markedly on days 6 and 7. Plasma
urea nitrogen increased rapidly on day 6 or 7, after which death occurred within 24 h. In contrast, urinary
urea nitrogen excretion decreased on the same day. Urinary beta-N-acetyl-D-
glucosaminidase (NAG) activity increased from day 3 to day 5, then decreased to normal levels on day 7. Renal
ATP concentration and energy charge decreased markedly on day 7. These data indicate that the blood
oxygen supply to the tissues began to decrease on day 6 and that
renal insufficiency developed in the terminal stage of
infection. We concluded that even a moderate increase in the level of plasma
urea nitrogen could be a useful index of
renal insufficiency in this
infection system.