Evasion of macrophage microbicidal mechanisms by mature sporozoites ofPlasmodium yoelii yoelii

Sporozoites of Plasmodium yoelii yoelii were incubated for 40 min with BALB/c peritoneal macrophages in the presence of nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT). While immature oocyst sporozoites triggered the macrophage respiratory burst, as visualized microscopically by the localized reduction of NBT to insoluble formazan, 97.6% of mature salivary gland sporozoites did not induce such a response. The macrophage oxidative response was also induced by 82.7% of heat-inactivated and 95.7% of trypsin-treated salivary gland sporozoites. The relationship of these results to the infectivity and immunogenicity of malarial sporozoites is discussed.