Increased hepatic Th2 and Treg subsets are associated with biliary fibrosis in different strains of mice caused by Clonorchis sinensis

• Published in: PloS one 2017-02, Vol.12 (2), p.e0171005-e0171005
• Main Authors: Zhang, Bei-Bei, Yan, Chao, Fang, Fan, Du, Ying, Ma, Rui, Li, Xiang-Yang, Yu, Qian, Meng, Di, Tang, Ren-Xian, Zheng, Kui-Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Anesthesia; Animals; Bile Duct Diseases - parasitology; Bile Duct Diseases - pathology; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; CD4 antigen; Clonorchiasis - immunology; Clonorchiasis - pathology; Clonorchis sinensis; Clonorchis sinensis - pathogenicity; Collagen; Complications and side effects; Cytokines; Cytometry; Female; Fibrosis; Flow cytometry; Fluke infections; Helper cells; Hydroxyproline; Immunology; Infections; Laboratory animals; Leukocytes; Liver; Liver - parasitology; Liver - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis - parasitology; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; Nodules; Parasites; Risk factors; Rodents; T cells; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - parasitology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - pathology; Th2 Cells - parasitology; Th2 Cells - pathology; Tropical diseases; Trypanosoma cruzi; Zhang, Chao
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171005

Previous studies showed that CD4+T cells responses might be involved in the process of biliary fibrosis. However, the underlying mechanism resulting in biliary fibrosis caused by Clonorchis sinensis remains not yet fully elucidated. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the different profiles of hepatic CD4+T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells) and their possible roles in the biliary fibrosis of different strains of mice (C57BL/6, BALB/c and FVB mice) induced by C. sinensis infection. C57BL/6, BALB/c and FVB mice were orally gavaged with 45 metacercariae. All mice were sacrificed on 28 days post infection in deep anesthesia conditions. The leukocytes in the liver were separated to examine CD4+T cell subsets by flow cytometry and the left lobe of liver was used to observe pathological changes, collagen depositions and the concentrations of hydroxyproline. The most serious cystic and fibrotic changes appeared in FVB infected mice indicated by gross observation, Masson's trichrome staining and hydroxyproline content detection. In contrast to C57BL/6 infected mice, diffuse nodules and more intensive fibrosis were observed in the BALB/c infected mice. No differences of the hepatic Th1 subset and Th17 subset were found among the three strains, but the hepatic Th2 and Treg cells and their relative cytokines were dramatically increased in the BALB/c and FVB infected groups compared with the C57BL/6 infected group (P