Search

Aim: To study the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the content of hepatic TGF-beta1, type I and type III collagen in schistosomiasis japonica mice with liver fibrosis and its mechanism of anti-fibrosis., Methods: Forty mice with schistosomiasis were divided into four groups: one group as control without any treatment, other three were treated with Praziquantel 500 mg/(kg x d)for 2 d, high dose PTX 360 mg/(kg x d) for 8 wk, and low dose PTX 180 mg/(kg x d) for 8 wk respectively. Immunohistochemical technique and multimedia color pathographic analysis system were applied to observe the content change of hepatic TGF-beta1, type I and type III collagen in schistosomiasis japonica mice with liver fibrosis before and after PTX treatment., Results: Effects of PTX on the content change of hepatic TGF-beta1, type I and type III collagen in schistosomiasis japonica mice with liver fibrosis were related to the dosage of PTX, high dose PTX treated group could significantly reduce the content of TGF-beta1 (0.709+/-0.111), type I (0.644+/-0.108) and type III (0.654+/-0.152) collagen compared with those of control group (0.883+/-0.140, 0.771+/-0.156, 0.822+/-0.129) with statistical significance (P<0.05). Low dose PTX could also reduce the hepatic content of TGF-beta1 (0.752+/-0.152), type I (0.733+/-0.117) and type III (0.788+/-0.147) collagen, but without statistical significance (P>0.05). Both high dose and low dose PTX groups have significant differences on the content of TGF-beta1, type I and type III collagen (P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively)., Conclusion: High dose of PTX treatment could reduce the content of hepatic TGF-beta1, type I and type III collagen significantly in schistosomiasis japonica mice with liver fibrosis, and thus plays its role of antifibrosis.

Aim: To probe the effect of γ-IFN on hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis japonica., Methods: The amount and distribution of γ-IFN and extracellular matrix in the liver of 60 S. japonicum infected mice and 30 healthy mice at different stages, and their dynamics in 20 infected mice after administration of recombinant γ-interferon were determined by immunohistochemical streptavidin biotin peroxidase complex method., Results: The amount of γ-IFN in liver peaked at the 16(th) week after infection (3 mice respectively reached 2+, 3+ and 4+ grade), which was higher than the levels of infected mice at the 8(th)-12(th) week (P < 0.01), and γ-IFN was mostly distributed around egg granuloma. Fibronectin, laminin, type I and III collagens in liver of most infected mice reached 1+ grade and individual 2+ grade at the 8(th) week after infection, which were higher than those of healthy controls (P < 0.01), and were linearly distributed around egg granuloma . With chronicity and decrease of γ-interferon, however, the matrix proteins and collagens gradually increased, peaked respectively at the 20(th) and 24(th) week (over 70% infected mice with 3+ to 4+ grade), became wide and thick, and deposited in band like or retiform shape around and in egg granuloma. After administration of γ-IFN, only 3 infected mice had 2+ grade of fibronectin at the 20(th) week, and 2 mice had 3+ grade of type III collagen at the 24(th) week, and none of them reached 4+ grade, which were significantly less than the untreated group at the same stage (P < 0.01-0.05)., Conclusion: γ-interferon may play an important role in opposing the inflammatory response of egg granuloma, decreasing secretion and deposition of extracellular matrix in the liver and suppressing hepatic fibrosis.