CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES >

2021 , Vol. 39 >Issue 3: 296 - 303

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2021.03.002

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Role of extracellular matrix protein 1 in the liver fibrosis induced by Echinococcus multilocularis infection in mice

  • Wen-ding LI ,
  • Hao WEN ,
  • Jiao HOU ,
  • Ming-kun WANG ,
  • liang LI ,
  • Jing LI ,
  • Chuan-shan ZHANG ,
  • Bing SUN ,
  • Hui WANG
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  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Clinical Medicine Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054,China
    2 Basic Medical College, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China
    3 Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China

Received date: 2021-02-04

  Revised date: 2021-03-22

  Online published: 2021-07-05

Supported by

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Key Laboratory Open Research Program Project(2019D04021);National Natural Science Foundation of China(81860359);State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases Fund(SKL-HIDCA-2020-5)

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the role of extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) in the liver fibrosis of mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis (Em) by detecting the expression of ECM1 and the relationship with the liver fibrosis process. Methods Forty female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the Em infection group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 20). For the Em infection group, 2 000 Em protoscoleces were collected under aseptic condition and inoculated through hepatic portal vein to establish the Em infection mouse model. Mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of saline in the same way. Liver tissues were collected at 1, 6, 12 and 24 weeks after Em infection. Histopathological changes were observed through hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. The degree of liver fibrosis was evaluated through Sirius red staining and α-SMA staining. Immunohistochemical assay was performed to detect ECM1 expression in the mouse liver. The correlation between ECM1 expression and the degree of liver fibrosis was analyzed by Pearson post analysis. Results HE staining showed that lesions with obvious germinal layer structure were formed at 6 weeks after Em infection, showing obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells in surrounding tissues, accompanied by proliferation of fibrous tissue. Sirius red staining showed that the percentages of collagen deposition area in the mice liver tissue around the metacestodes lesion at week 1, 6 weeks, 12, and 24 after infection were (6.97 ± 0.07)%, (10.39 ± 0.02)%, (17.31 ± 1.78)%, and (22.24 ± 1.07)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The α-SMA staining showed that the percentages of α-SMA-positive area around the lesion in the Em infection group were (5.31 ± 0.39)%, (9.97 ± 1.3)%, (16.16 ± 0.17)%, and (19.01 ± 0.49)%, respectively, at week 1, 6, 12, and 24 after infection, which were also significantly higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.05). These results indicated that the degree of liver fibrosis around the lesion gradually increased with the duration of Em infection. Immunohistochemical staining of ECM1 showed that ECM1 was mainly expressed in the inflammatory cell band around the lesion The percentages of ECM1-positive area in the Em infection group were (8.60 ± 0.44)%, (13.90 ± 0.57)%, (16.37 ± 0.77)%, and (19.50 ± 0.50)%, respectively, at week 1, 6, 12, and 24 after infection, which were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression level of ECM1 was positively correlated with the positive area with Sirius red staining ( r = 0.900, P < 0.01) and the percentage of α-SMA-positive area ( r = 0.941,P < 0.01). Conclusion ECM1 expression in the Em infected mouse liver at different time points post-infection was significantly higher than that in control group, and was positively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis.

Key words： Echinococcus multiloculari; Infection; Liver fibrosis; Extracellular matrix protein 1

Cite this article

Wen-ding LI , Hao WEN , Jiao HOU , Ming-kun WANG , liang LI , Jing LI , Chuan-shan ZHANG , Bing SUN , Hui WANG . Role of extracellular matrix protein 1 in the liver fibrosis induced by Echinococcus multilocularis infection in mice[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES, 2021 , 39(3) : 296 -303 . DOI: 10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2021.03.002

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