The Plasmodium berghei-infection in isogenic F1 (C57Bl x DBA)-mice. I. The course of the infection and immunization experiments.

The malarial infection caused by Plasmodium berghei (strain K 173) was observed in the isogenic mouse strains C3H, C57Bl, DBA, and the F1 (C57Bl x DBA)-hybrids. In addition immunization experiments were carried out by intermittent suppression of the parasite multiplication through maintaining the infected animals on a milk diet for various length of time. The F1-hybrids were the most resistant mice and immunization was most effective in these animals, too. But if the course of the infection was not influenced experimentally all animals succumbed to the infection. If the mice were inoculated with very small parasite numbers a bimodal mortality pattern was usually observed with a pronounced peak of eary mortality. The changes in body weight, temperature, and hematocrit during the infection are shown.