A Microtus fortis protein, serum albumin, is a novel inhibitor of Schistosoma japonicum schistosomula

Autor: Rong Li, Guo-Jun Wu, De-Hui Xiong, Qiang Gong, Ruan-Jing Yu, Wei-Xin Hu
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol 108, Iss 7, Pp 865-872 (2013)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1678-8060
0074-0276
DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276130659
Popis: Schistosomiasis is an endemic parasite disease and praziquantel is the only drug currently in use to control this disease. Experimental and epidemiological evidence strongly suggests that Microtus fortis ( Mf ) is a naturally resistant vertebrate host of Schistosoma japonicum . In the present study, we found that Mf serum albumin ( Mf -albumin) and the conditioned medium of pcDNA3.1- Mf -albumin caused 46.2% and 38.7% schistosomula death rates in 96 h, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of the negative control (p < 0.05). We also found that mice injected with Mf -albumin had a 43.5% reduction in worm burden and a 48.1% reduction in liver eggs per gram (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control animals. To characterise the mechanisms involved in clearance, schistosomula were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled Mf -albumin and fluorescent enrichment effects were found in the gut lumen of schistosomula after 48 h of incubation. Next, digestive tract excretions from schistosomula were collected and the sensitivity of Mf -albumin to digestive tract excretions was evaluated. The results indicated that schistosomula digestive tract excretions showed indigestibility of Mf -albumin. The death of schistosomula could be partially attributed to the lack of digestion of Mf -albumin by digestive tract excretions during the development of the schistosomula stage. Therefore, these data indicate the potential of Mf -albumin as one of the major selective forces for schistosomiasis.
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