GdCl3 Attenuates Schistosomiasis japonicum Egg-Induced Granulomatosis Accompanied by Decreased Macrophage Infiltration in Murine Liver

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 28;10(8):e0132222. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132222. eCollection 2015.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / administration & dosage*
  • Anthelmintics / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Gadolinium / administration & dosage*
  • Gadolinium / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Granuloma / drug therapy*
  • Granuloma / immunology
  • Granuloma / parasitology
  • Granuloma / pathology
  • Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha2 Subunit / genetics
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / immunology
  • Liver / parasitology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / drug therapy
  • Macrophages / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / parasitology
  • Mice
  • Schistosoma japonicum / drug effects
  • Schistosoma japonicum / growth & development
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / drug therapy*
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / immunology
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / pathology

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha2 Subunit
  • Gadolinium
  • gadolinium chloride

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30940061 and No. 81171606) and the Foundation of Anhui Medical University (No. XJ201012).