Administration of an antifibrotic agent as an adjunct to antihelmintic
treatment with the objective of morbidity reduction was investigated in the
murine schistosomiasis mansoni model. Antifibrotic, beta-aminopropionitrile
treatment has a profound effect on the cellular matrix composition of the
liver granuloma of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice when given alone,
resulting in increase macrophage infiltration. These macrophages, in
response to stimulation with soluble egg antigen or lipopolysaccharide
produced elevated levels of nitric oxide but low levels of tumor necrosis
factor alpha compared to untreated infected mice. This also correlated with
reduced liver granuloma size. In spite of low numbers of eggs in the liver,
mice receiving a combine treatment had a high level of resistance to a
challenge infection compared with mice receiving only praziquantel. Those
mice also exhibited a reduced lymphocyte proliferative response, similar to
that of infected untreated mice. Antifibrotic treatment has an impact on
the dynamic of the cellular nature of granulomas and impacts on the host
immunity to infection.
