Abstract
Early-stage hepatic granuloma and advanced-stage fibrosis are important characteristics of schistosomiasis. The direct consequences of gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) in egg-induced granuloma formation have not been reported, although GdCl3 is known to block the macrophages. In present study, mice were infected with 15 Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) cercariae and treated with GdCl3 (10 mg/kg body weight) twice weekly from day 21 to day 42 post-infection during the onset of egg-laying towards early granuloma formation. Histochemical staining showed that repeated injection of GdCl3 decreased macrophages infiltration in liver of mice infected with S. japonicum. Macrophage depletion by GdCl3 during the initial phase attenuated liver pathological injury characterized by smaller granuloma size and decreased immune inflammation as well as less fibrogenesis. In addition, IL-13Rα2 expression was reduced by GdCl3 in liver of mice infected with S. japonicum. The results suggest that GdCl3 depleted macrophages, which attenuated helminth infected immune responses involving with IL-13Rα2 signal. These findings would highlight a therapeutic potential via manipulating IL-13Rα2+ macrophage in schistosomiasis.
Highlights
Schistosomiasis is one of the most important poverty-related health problems, and more than 200 million people are currently infected worldwide [1,2]
To explore the role of IL-13Rα2-expressing macrophages, the current study was in search of GdCl3 to selectively deplete macrophages following with effect on IL13Rα2 expression
Macrophage depletion during the initial phase attenuated liver pathological injury, which is reflected on smaller granuloma size and decreased immune inflammation as well as less fibrogenesis
Summary
Schistosomiasis is one of the most important poverty-related health problems, and more than 200 million people are currently infected worldwide [1,2]. The key cellular and molecular factors that triggered pathological cascade in PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0132222 August 28, 2015
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