Schistosoma japonicum infection downregulates house dust mite-induced allergic airway inflammation in mice
Fig 1
S. japonicum infection inhibits HDM-induced airway inflammation at early phase.
(A) To induce allergic airway inflammation, both infected and uninfected C57BL/6 mice were inoculated intratracheally (i.t.) with HDM. In the early immunization regimen, HDM inoculations started at 3 wks post the infection with S. japonicum (S.j.). Control groups were inoculated i.t. with PBS alone. Mice were sacrificed 24 h after the last challenge. (B) The total cells in BAL fluids were counted by using a hemacytometer. (C) Differential cell counts of >400 cells were performed on cytospins stained with Kwik-Diff. The numbers of eosinophils (Eo), macrophages (Mϕ), neutrophils (Neu), and lymphocytes (Lym) in BAL are shown. (D-E) Representative Kwik-Diff staining of BAL cells and H&E staining of lung tissue sections. (F) Cytokine levels in BAL fluids were determined by ELISA. (G) Total RNA from the right lower lobe of the lungs was extracted for real-time PCR analysis for IL-4, eotaxin, IFN-γ and Gob-5. Data are normalized to an 18S reference and expressed as arbitrary units. Results are expressed as mean+SE (B-C, F-G), representative of two independent experiments (n = 5–10 per group). Compared to uninfected and HDM immunized mice, *p<0.05; **p<0.01.