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In western societies, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is related to the hygiene hypothesis, which implies that reduced exposure to infectious factors results in a loss of the immune stimulation necessary to form the immune system during development. In fact, it has been reported that parasites, such as Schistosoma, can improve or prevent the development of T2D, which may be related to the activity of immune cells, including regulatory T cells (Tregs). Hence, Schistosoma, Tregs, and T2D share a close relationship. Schistosoma infection and the molecules released can lead to an increase in Tregs, which play an important role in the suppression of T2D. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of Tregs in the response to Schistosoma infection and the protective mechanism of Schistosoma-related molecular products against T2D., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase (SjGST) on the developmental stages of the parasite. We found that the mRNA levels of GST were higher in schistosomula obtained from the host and the eggs than that in other developmental stages. SjGST was mainly distributed in the egg shells, teguments of the worms, and part of the parenchyma of the worms. GST knockdown with RNA interference in S. japonicum worms resulted in a silencing rate higher than 80%. The egg reduction rate (18%) and abnormal egg ratio (28%) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the GST-silenced group than in the negative control group. These results indicate that SjGST plays an important role in the fecundity of S. japonicum, specifically in egg formation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)