OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Trichinella spiralis and its worm-derived proteins on cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in mice.

METHODSEighty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into sham-operated group, CLP group, Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (ML) pre-infection group (ML+CLP group), soluble muscle larvae proteins (SMP) treatment group (SMP+CLP group) and excretory-secretory proteins (MES) treatment group (MES+CLP group). In ML+CLP group, the mice were orally infected with 300 Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae at 28 days before CLP and those in the other groups were intraperitioneally injected with PBS or SMP (25 µg/mice) or MES (25µg/mice) 30 min after CLP. The general condition and 72-h survival after CLP of the mice were observed. The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10 and TGF-β were measured at 12 h after the operation, and the pathological changes of the liver and kidney were observed.

RESULTSs Compared with the sham-operated mice, the mice in CLP group showed decreased 72-h survival, obviously increased ALT, AST, BUN, Cr, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, and TGF-β with hepatic cords disorder, hepatocytes swelling, glomerulus shrinkage, and renal tubular cell edema. Compared with CLP group, the mice in ML+CLP group showed lowered levels of ALT, AST, Cr, TNF-α and IL-1β and increased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β; in SMP+CLP group, the levels of ALT, AST, Cr, TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased and TGF-β increased. In MES+CLP group, the mice showed obviously increased 72-h survival with lowered levels of ALT, AST, BUN, Cr, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, increased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β, and alleviated liver and kidney damages.

CONCLUSIONTrichinella spiralis and its worm-derived proteins can decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase immunomodulatory cytokines, and MES has more potent effect to reduce structural and functional damages of the liver and kidney.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Animals ; Antigens, Helminth ; pharmacology ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Cecum ; Creatinine ; blood ; Cytokines ; blood ; Helminth Proteins ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Kidney Diseases ; therapy ; Ligation ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Liver Diseases ; therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Sepsis ; therapy ; Trichinella spiralis

Cancer is the main cause of death in developed countries. However, in underdeveloped countries infections and parasitic diseases are the main causes of death. There are raising scientific evidences indicating that parasitic infections induce antitumor activity against certain types of cancers. In this study, the effects of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara canis egg antigens in comparison with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) (known to have anticancer distinctive) on WEHI-164 fibosarcoma transplanted to BALB/c mice was investigated. Groups of 6 male BALB/c mice injected with T. gondii antigen, BCG, or T. canis egg antigen as case groups and alum alone as control groups. All mice were then challenged with WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells. The mice were examined for growth of the solid tumor and the tumor sizes were measured every other day up to 4 wk. The mean tumor area in T. gondii, BCG, or alum alone injected mice in 4 different days of measurements was 25 mm2, 23 mm2, and 186 mm2 respectively. Also the mean tumor area in T. canis injected mice in 4 different days was 25.5 mm2 compared to the control group (alum treated) which was 155 mm2. T. gondii parasites and T. canis egg antigens induced inhibition of the tumor growth in the fibrosarcoma mouse model. We need further study to clarify the mechanisms of anti-cancer effects.
Animals ; Antigens, Helminth/isolation & purification/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Antigens, Protozoan/isolation & purification/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents/isolation & purification/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Chemoprevention/*methods ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma/pathology/*prevention & control ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Toxocara canis/*chemistry ; Toxoplasma/*chemistry

Dendritic cells (DCs), which are regarded as the most potent antigen-presenting cells, are involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Upon uptake of pathogens, DCs express cell surface markers and secrete cytokines. In this study, we analyzed production of cytokines and found that interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta production significantly increased in bone marrow-derived DCs and a mouse DC line, DC2.4, after treatment with crude antigen (CA) from liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis. However, expression patterns of several activation molecules did not change. In addition, following treatment of DC2.4 cells with antigen from the lung fluke, Paragonimus westermani, production of IL-10 and TGF-beta significantly increased compared with groups treated with other parasite antigens, Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid CA and Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cystic fluid. We also found that treatment of DC2.4 cells with C. sinensis CA resulted in rapid and significant phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, a mitogen-activated protein kinase. Following treatment of DC2.4 cells with C. sinensis CA, treatment with an inhibitor specific to an extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibited production of IL-10 and TGF-beta. Our results suggest that CA from C. sinensis has a role in the anti-inflammatory function of DC cells by inducing IL-10 and TGF-beta through activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.
Animals ; Antigens, Helminth/*pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Clonorchis sinensis/*immunology ; Dendritic Cells/drug effects/*metabolism ; Interleukin-10/genetics/*metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mice ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics/*metabolism

Infection of schistosomiasis japonica may eventually lead to liver fibrosis, and no effective antifibrotic therapies are available but liver transplantation. Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway has been involved in the process and is a promising target for treating liver fibrosis. This study aimed to explore the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on liver fibrosis induced by schistosoma japonicum infection by inhibiting the HH signaling pathway. Phorbol12-myristate13-acetate (PMA) was used to induce human acute mononuclear leukemia cells THP-1 to differentiate into macrophages. The THP-1-derived macrophages were stimulated by soluble egg antigen (SEA), and the culture supernatants were collected for detection of activation of macrophages. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the cytotoxicity of the culture supernatant and PTX on the LX-2 cells. The LX-2 cells were administered with activated culture supernatant from macrophages and(or) PTX to detect the transforming growth factor-β gene expression. The mRNA expression of shh and gli-1, key parts in HH signaling pathway, was detected. The mRNA expression of shh and gli-1 was increased in LX-2 cells treated with activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant, suggesting HH signaling pathway may play a key role in the activation process of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The expression of these genes decreased in LX-2 cells co-cultured with both activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant and PTX, indicating PTX could suppress the activation process of HSCs. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that PTX prevents liver fibrogenesis in vitro by the suppression of HH signaling pathway.
Animals ; Antigens, Helminth ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hedgehog Proteins ; agonists ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; parasitology ; prevention & control ; Macrophage Activation ; drug effects ; Macrophages ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Models, Biological ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pentoxifylline ; pharmacology ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; immunology ; Schistosoma japonicum ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 ; genetics ; immunology ; Zygote ; chemistry