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Abstract: The development of hepatic fibrosis is the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in human beings infected with schistosoma. In this study, we investigated the effect of polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) egg-induced liver fibrosis. S. japonicum cercariae infected mice were injected with poly I:C at the onset of egg granuloma formation (early phase poly I:C treatment) or after the formation of liver fibrosis (late phase poly I:C treatment). Our results showed that both early and late phase poly I:C treatment significantly reduced collagen deposition and hepatic stellate cell activation in the liver. Poly I:C is one of the most effective adjuvants for Th1 type responses, and its protective effect on liver fibrosis was accompanied by increased IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, and IL-10 mRNA expression, and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA expression. Moreover, poly I:C injection also enhanced the mRNA expression of natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) and tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Therefore, it is indicated that poly I:C can significantly attenuate S. japonicum egg-induced hepatic fibrosis, which may be partly dependent on the increased Th1 response and decreased Th2 response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a novel method to analyze multiple cytokines/chemokines in 5 μL of BALF in mice. The methodology relies on micro-volume wall-less immunoassays combined with Luminex magnetic bead multiplex technology. This new method has been demonstrated with good validity, veracity, and sensitivity by comparing it with the existing conventional Luminex method, as well comparing the values of BALF cytokines/chemokines from functional inflammatory stimulated mice with that of healthy mice. Compared with conventional Luminex method, it also showed obvious advantages in some other aspects such as the sample volume was minimized to 5 μL, the consumption of reagents and beads was reduced by a factor of 5 and the total cost of experiments was significantly reduced by 80%, which would have wide applications in the field of multiple cytokines/chemokines analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]