The effects of exogenous glucose in artificial spring water (ASW) were studied on the survival and infectivity of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. The mean percent survival of cercariae maintained in 1 % glucose in ASW for 36 and 48 hr was significantly greater than that of cercariae maintained identically in ASW. Cercariae maintained in ASW with or without glucose for 24 hr, fixed in neutral buffered formalin, and stained in Oil Red O, showed an accumulation of neutral lipid in the tail. Cercariae maintained as described above and stained in periodic acid-Schiff exhibited depleted glycogen, mainly from the tail. Cercariae maintained in ASW with glucose for 24 hr did not resynthesize glycogen. Cercariae maintained in ASW with glucose for 24 hr were as capable of infecting male FVBN202 mice as were freshly emerged cercariae, and increased the percent of worm recovery. Exogeneous glucose added to ASW prolonged the survival of S. mansoni cercariae and increased infectivity in terms of worm recovery.
Animals ; Glucose/*pharmacology ; Larva ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Schistosoma mansoni/*growth & development/*pathogenicity ; Stimulation, Chemical ; Time Factors ; Water

The technique of stem cells or hepatocytes transplantation has recently improved in order to bridge the time before whole-organ liver transplantation. In the present study, unfractionated bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) were harvested from the tibial and femoral marrow compartments of male mice, which were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) with and without hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and then transplanted into Schistosoma mansoni-infected female mice on their 8th week post-infection. Mice were sacrificed monthly until the third month of bone marrow transplantation, serum was collected, and albumin concentration, ALT, AST, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were assayed. On the other hand, immunohistopathological and immunohistochemical changes of granuloma size and number, collagen content, and cells expressing OV-6 were detected for identification of liver fibrosis. BMSCs were shown to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells. Serum ALT, AST, and ALP were markedly reduced in the group of mice treated with BMSCs than in the untreated control group. Also, granuloma showed a marked decrease in size and number as compared to the BMSCs untreated group. Collagen content showed marked decrease after the third month of treatment with BMSCs. On the other hand, the expression of OV-6 increased detecting the presence of newly formed hepatocytes after BMSCs treatment. BMSCs with or without HGF infusion significantly enhanced hepatic regeneration in S. mansoni-induced fibrotic liver model and have pathologic and immunohistopathologic therapeutic effects. Also, this new therapeutic trend could generate new hepatocytes to improve the overall liver functions.
Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase/blood ; Animals ; Antigens, Differentiation/biosynthesis ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology ; *Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen/metabolism ; Female ; Granuloma/parasitology/pathology ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor/pharmacology ; Hepatocytes/*cytology ; Liver/parasitology/pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis/parasitology/pathology/*therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Schistosoma mansoni/pathogenicity ; Schistosomiasis mansoni/mortality/*therapy ; *Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells/cytology