School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2012 May;237(5):585-92. doi: 10.1258/ebm.2012.011362.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained popularity for their potential as seed cells to treat various human diseases, including pathogenic infections. Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) infection is characterized by formation of parasite egg granulomas and host liver fibrosis. MSCs have been proposed as useful treatments of S. japonicum infection, but the efficacy and underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, we report that MSCs were able to ameliorate S. japonicum-induced liver injury in vivo and this effect was enhanced by combining MSCs with conventional drug praziquantel (PZQ). Kunming strains of mice were infected with S. japonicum and treated with vehicle, MSCs, PZQ or PZQ + MSCs. MSC treatment not only prolonged the survival time of infected mice but reduced egg granuloma diameter and decreased the concentrations of serum transforming growth factor-β1 and hyaluronic acid. MSC treatment also inhibited collagen deposition and reduced the expression of collagen type 3, α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin in infected mouse liver tissues. Collectively, our findings suggest that MSC treatment represents a novel therapeutic approach for S. japonicum-induced liver injury and fibrosis.
间充质干细胞(MSCs)作为种子细胞治疗各种人类疾病(包括致病感染)的潜力引起了人们的关注。日本血吸虫(S. japonicum)感染的特征是寄生虫卵肉芽肿和宿主肝纤维化的形成。已经提出 MSCs 可作为日本血吸虫感染的有效治疗方法,但疗效和潜在机制尚不清楚。在此,我们报告 MSCs 能够改善体内日本血吸虫感染引起的肝损伤,并且这种效果通过将 MSCs 与常规药物吡喹酮(PZQ)联合使用而增强。用日本血吸虫感染昆明株小鼠,并给予载体、MSCs、PZQ 或 PZQ+MSCs 处理。MSC 治疗不仅延长了感染小鼠的存活时间,而且还降低了卵肉芽肿直径和血清转化生长因子-β1 和透明质酸的浓度。MSC 治疗还抑制了胶原沉积,并降低了感染小鼠肝组织中胶原 3 型、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白和波形蛋白的表达。总之,我们的研究结果表明,MSC 治疗代表了一种治疗日本血吸虫感染引起的肝损伤和纤维化的新方法。