In vitro pro - angiogenic activity of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts from experimentally infected mice

Abstract

To preliminarily study the pro-angiogenic activity of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts against human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro and the transcriptional level of potential pro-angiogenic factors. The hydatid cysts and protoscolex derived from experimentally infected mice were collected and cultured in vitro, then the human umbilical vein endothelial cells were stimulated by the supernatant and cyst fluid respectively, and the angiogenesis was observed and analyzed through a microscope and the angiogenesis mode of the software NIH Image J. Meanwhile, the mouse homologous proteins of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and high mobility group box B1 (HMGB1) were identified in E. granulosus genome through sequence alignment, and their transcriptional levels in the cyst wall and protoscolex were analyzed. The culture supernatant of hydatid cysts significantly promoted human umbilical vein endothelial cells into tubes (F = 73.03, P < 0.001), the transcriptions of MMP-9 and HMGB1 were detected in the cyst wall and protoscolex, and the transcriptional level of MMP-9 was higher in protoscolex (t = -11.65, P < 0.001), while the level of HMGB1 was higher in hydatid cysts (t = 6.43, P = 0.003). Some parasite-derived pro-angiogenic molecules may exist in the supernatant of E. granulosus hydatid cysts, while further researches are required into their exact mechanisms.