Susceptibility and Disease Progression in Calomys callosus: A Robust Rodent Model for Investigating Malaria-related Anemia

Susceptibility and Disease Progression in Calomys callosus: A Robust Rodent Model for Investigating Malaria-related Anemia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Susceptibility and Disease Progression in Calomys callosus: A Robust Rodent Model for Investigating Malaria-related Anemia Ludmilla Silva Mendes, Sandra Gabriela Klein, Karina Harumi Chinen, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Malaria is a parasitic disease of high public health importance, with malarial anemia being one of its most severe and frequent complications, particularly in children from endemic areas. Murine experimental models, such as the BALB/c mouse, have been widely used to study malaria pathogenesis. However, gaps remain regarding the faithful reproduction of the mechanisms involved in associated anemia. In this context, the rodent Calomys callosus has emerged as a promising alternative for the study of parasitic diseases. This study evaluated the susceptibility of C. callosus to infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, with an emphasis on the characterization of clinical, parasitological, and hematological parameters. Animals were infected with different doses of parasitized red blood cells and monitored for morbidity, parasitemia, body weight, survival, and hematological changes. The results showed that animals infected with 1×10⁷ parasitized red blood cells exhibited higher parasitemia, more pronounced clinical signs, and more evident histological findings at this dose. Anemia was also observed, characterized by neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia, and anisocytosis, as well as reduced hematocrit and lower survival rates. These findings support the potential of C. callosus as an experimental model for studying malaria, particularly in the context of malarial anemia, and suggest its usefulness in research focused on pathophysiology and the development of new therapies. Malaria Plasmodium berghei Experimental Model Calomys callosus Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8960410","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":606509064,"identity":"e2be17e8-a6f2-4983-b45b-549ff0e28cca","order_by":0,"name":"Ludmilla Silva Mendes","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ludmilla","middleName":"Silva","lastName":"Mendes","suffix":""},{"id":606509066,"identity":"f02ff438-789f-4d0c-824f-9f30901e6189","order_by":1,"name":"Sandra Gabriela Klein","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sandra","middleName":"Gabriela","lastName":"Klein","suffix":""},{"id":606509069,"identity":"34b466f5-6707-48a9-adf6-743af814e9f2","order_by":2,"name":"Karina Harumi Chinen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Karina","middleName":"Harumi","lastName":"Chinen","suffix":""},{"id":606509070,"identity":"a2d0bec9-f043-4d18-b1fd-55c6ddcb512d","order_by":3,"name":"Matheus M. Neves","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Matheus","middleName":"M.","lastName":"Neves","suffix":""},{"id":606509072,"identity":"e7cfae13-360b-450a-b3dc-5a6e3ecb0670","order_by":4,"name":"Giovana M. Ferreira","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Giovana","middleName":"M.","lastName":"Ferreira","suffix":""},{"id":606509074,"identity":"4f1a170e-b7b2-4bdd-87e2-ce1d1c0432e1","order_by":5,"name":"Maria Clara Fioravanti Ponce","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maria","middleName":"Clara Fioravanti","lastName":"Ponce","suffix":""},{"id":606509076,"identity":"b9a8761a-bf30-4931-8434-7a63e6347b7e","order_by":6,"name":"Laura Maria Mendes Campitelli","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Laura","middleName":"Maria Mendes","lastName":"Campitelli","suffix":""},{"id":606509078,"identity":"efea0231-10fd-4500-a88b-064c009a2bbe","order_by":7,"name":"Isabela Lemos Lima","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Isabela","middleName":"Lemos","lastName":"Lima","suffix":""},{"id":606509080,"identity":"845ce5a5-8e27-4d85-a46c-1a1629bade91","order_by":8,"name":"Flavia B. Ferreira","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Flavia","middleName":"B.","lastName":"Ferreira","suffix":""},{"id":606509082,"identity":"4fff6a7d-500d-448b-a3d9-a59736f5c3c7","order_by":9,"name":"Murilo Vieira Silva","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAw+ABBsDYwMDQwUDPwMDDxFaEuBazjBINhCjhSEBxmBsI0KL7ozchwcSKhgS+9ib2z78nHdYwuAA77EP+LSY3Ug3OJBwhiGxjedg88zebSAtfMkz8GtJYziQ2MZgzCaR2MzAu+1wncEBHmO8DkNokX/YzPh3DsgWIrXIsUkwNjPzNhCj5cwzYCCfkZBj40lsZpY5li4heZgvGb+W42nMHz5U2PDItx9/zPimxlqC73jvYbxaoEACic1MjIZRMApGwSgYBXgBAP9URgyWo+uHAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Uberlândia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Murilo","middleName":"Vieira","lastName":"Silva","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-24 18:53:37","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104835352,"identity":"456eefb5-e62a-4887-9aef-409587f20b60","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 17:44:02","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1785185,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ArtigoLud.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8960410/v1_covered_72840e3b-0e78-4f1b-84ff-9f50bfa89188.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Susceptibility and Disease Progression in Calomys callosus: A Robust Rodent Model for Investigating Malaria-related Anemia","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Malaria, Plasmodium berghei, Experimental Model, Calomys callosus","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMalaria is a parasitic disease of high public health importance, with malarial anemia being one of its most severe and frequent complications, particularly in children from endemic areas. Murine experimental models, such as the BALB/c mouse, have been widely used to study malaria pathogenesis. However, gaps remain regarding the faithful reproduction of the mechanisms involved in associated anemia. In this context, the rodent \u003cem\u003eCalomys callosus\u003c/em\u003e has emerged as a promising alternative for the study of parasitic diseases. This study evaluated the susceptibility of \u003cem\u003eC. callosus\u003c/em\u003e to infection with \u003cem\u003ePlasmodium berghei\u003c/em\u003e ANKA, with an emphasis on the characterization of clinical, parasitological, and hematological parameters. Animals were infected with different doses of parasitized red blood cells and monitored for morbidity, parasitemia, body weight, survival, and hematological changes. The results showed that animals infected with 1×10⁷ parasitized red blood cells exhibited higher parasitemia, more pronounced clinical signs, and more evident histological findings at this dose. Anemia was also observed, characterized by neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia, and anisocytosis, as well as reduced hematocrit and lower survival rates. These findings support the potential of \u003cem\u003eC. callosus\u003c/em\u003e as an experimental model for studying malaria, particularly in the context of malarial anemia, and suggest its usefulness in research focused on pathophysiology and the development of new therapies.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Susceptibility and Disease Progression in Calomys callosus: A Robust Rodent Model for Investigating Malaria-related Anemia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-17 14:52:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8960410/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"380a7df3-033a-4bf0-8345-9893156fa040","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 17th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-11T23:23:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-11T23:22:02+00:00","index":22,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"25243975899990714185864329429517720067","date":"2026-05-11T23:20:17+00:00","index":21,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-11T23:38:52+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-17 14:52:35","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8960410","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8960410","identity":"rs-8960410","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}