GdCl3 Attenuates Schistosomiasis japonicum Egg-Induced Granulomatosis Accompanied by Decreased Macrophage Infiltration in Murine Liver

Early-stage hepatic granuloma and advanced-stage fibrosis are important characteristics of schistosomiasis. The direct consequences of gadolinium chloride (GdCl 3 ) in egg-induced granuloma formation have not been reported, although GdCl 3 is known to block the macrophages. In present study, mice were infected with 15 Schistosoma japonicum ( S . japonicum ) cercariae and treated with GdCl 3 (10 mg/kg body weight) twice weekly from day 21 to day 42 post-infection during the onset of egg-laying towards early granuloma formation. Histochemical staining showed that repeated injection of GdCl 3 decreased macrophages infiltration in liver of mice infected with S . japonicum . Macrophage depletion by GdCl 3 during the initial phase attenuated liver pathological injury characterized by smaller granuloma size and decreased immune inflammation as well as less fibrogenesis. In addition, IL-13Rα2 expression was reduced by GdCl 3 in liver of mice infected with S . japonicum . The results suggest that GdCl 3 depleted macrophages, which attenuated helminth infected immune responses involving with IL-13Rα2 signal. These findings would highlight a therapeutic potential via manipulating IL-13Rα2+ macrophage in schistosomiasis.