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Recombinant T2 RNase protein of Schistosoma japonicum inhibits expression of α-SMA in LX-2 cells

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Abstract

Recombinant T2 RNase glycoprotein, which showed a certain degree of homology to Omega-1 from Schistosoma mansoni eggs, was expressed in adult worms of Schistosoma japonicum, but not in eggs of S. japonicum. The direct biological role of the recombinant T2 RNase protein in activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) remains unknown. In the present study, the immortalized human HSC line (LX-2 cells) was treated with the recombinant T2 RNase protein at indicated concentrations for various time points in vitro. The expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Smad4 were detected by Western blot. The results showed that the recombinant T2 RNase protein significantly diminished the expression levels of α-SMA and Smad4 in LX-2 cells. The upregulated expression levels of α-SMA and Smad4 by TGF-β1 in LX-2 cells were both suppressed by the recombinant T2 RNase protein. These data suggest that the recombinant T2 RNase protein may be a potential target of therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 81471975, 81171589, 81501763, and 81401683), the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant Number BK20140435), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Laboratory Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China

      Jianxin Wang, Wenxia Peng, Shaoqing Ju & Yinong Duan

    2. Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China

      Jianxin Wang, Wenxia Peng, Jinrong Feng, Dandan Zhu, Jinling Chen, Xiaolei Sun, Lei Lyu & Yinong Duan

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    1. Jianxin Wang
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    2. Wenxia Peng
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    Correspondence to Shaoqing Ju or Yinong Duan.

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    Jianxin Wang, Wenxia Peng and Jinrong Feng contributed equally to this work.

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    Wang, J., Peng, W., Feng, J. et al. Recombinant T2 RNase protein of Schistosoma japonicum inhibits expression of α-SMA in LX-2 cells. Parasitol Res 115, 4055–4060 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5178-z

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