Pilot Evaluation of Two Fasciola hepatica Biomarkers for Supporting Triclabendazole (TCBZ) Efficacy Diagnostics.

Fasciola hepatica, the causative agent of fasciolosis, is a global threat to public health, animal welfare, agricultural productivity, and food security. In the ongoing absence of a commercial vaccine, independent emergences of anthelmintic-resistant parasite populations worldwide are threatening the sustainability of the few flukicides presently available, and particularly triclabendazole (TCBZ) as the drug of choice. Consequently, prognoses for future fasciolosis control and sustained TCBZ application necessitate improvements in diagnostic tools to identify anthelmintic efficacy. Previously, we have shown that proteomic fingerprinting of F. hepatica excretory/secretory (ES) products offered new biomarkers associated with in vitro TCBZ-sulfoxide (SO) recovery or death. In the current paper, two of these biomarkers (calreticulin (CRT) and triose phosphate isomerase (TPI)) were recombinantly expressed and evaluated to measure TCBZ efficacy via a novel approach to decipher fluke molecular phenotypes independently of molecular parasite resistance mechanism(s), which are still not fully characterised or understood. Our findings confirmed the immunoreactivity and diagnostic potential of the present target antigens by sera from TCBZ-susceptible (TCBZ-S) and TCBZ-resistant (TCBZ-R) F. hepatica experimentally infected sheep.

Understanding the main route of drug entry in adult Fasciola hepatica: Further insights into closantel pharmacological activity.

Closantel (CLS) is highly effective against adult liver flukes after its oral or subcutaneous (sc) administration in ruminants. Trans-tegumental diffusion and oral ingestion are the two potential routes available for the entry of drugs into Fasciola hepatica. The work reported here contributes to improve the understanding of CLS pharmacology. The main goals of were: I) to determine the pattern of in vivo CLS accumulation into adult F. hepatica and relevant tissues in CLS-treated sheep; II) to investigate the influence of the physicochemical composition of the incubation medium on the CLS diffusion process into adult F. hepatica; III) to assess the ovicidal activity of CLS against F. hepatica eggs; and IV) to investigate the in vivo effect of CLS treatment on glutathione S-transferases activity in adult liver flukes exposed to CLS. Fourteen healthy sheep were each orally infected with 75 F. hepatica metacercariae. Sixteen (16) weeks after infection, animals were treated with CLS by oral (n = 6, 10 mg/kg) or sub-cutaneous (sc) (n = 6, 5 mg/kg) route. At 12, 24 and 36 h post-treatment, animals were sacrificed (n = 2) and samples of blood, bile and adult F. hepatica were collected. In addition, flukes recovered from non-treated sheep (n = 2) were ex vivo incubated (60 min) in the presence of CLS in either RPMI or bile as incubation medium. CLS concentration was measured by HPLC. The ovicidal activity of CLS was investigated using eggs obtained from the bile of untreated sheep. Finally, glutathione S-transferase activity in F. hepatica recovered from untreated and CLS-treated sheep was assessed. In the in vivo studies, the highest CLS concentrations were measured in plasma and adult liver flukes. A positive correlation was observed between CLS concentration in plasma and in F. hepatica. Results obtained in the current work indicate that the in vivo accumulation of CLS into adult liver flukes occurs mainly by the oral route. After ex vivo incubation, the uptake of CLS by the parasite was markedly diminished in the presence of bile compared with that observed in the presence of RPMI as incubation medium. CLS lacks ovicidal activity at therapeutically relevant concentrations. Lastly, CLS significantly increased glutathione S-transferase activity in flukes recovered at 12 h (oral treatment) and 24 h (sc treatment), compared to the control liver flukes.

Proteomic analysis of Fasciola hepatica excretory and secretory products (FhESPs) involved in interacting with host PBMCs and cytokines by shotgun LC-MS/MS.

Fasciola hepatica is a helminth parasite with a worldwide distribution, which can cause chronic liver disease, fasciolosis, leading to economic losses in the livestock and public health in many countries. Control is mostly reliant on the use of drugs, and as a result, drug resistance has now emerged. The identification of F. hepatica genes involved in interaction between the parasite and host immune system is utmost important to elucidate the evasion mechanisms of the parasite and develop more effective strategies against fasciolosis. In this study, we aimed to identify molecules in F. hepatica excretory and secretory products (FhESPs) interacting with the host peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), Th1-like cytokines (IL2 and IFN-γ), and Th17-like cytokines (IL17) by Co-IP combined with tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that 14, 16, and 9 proteins in FhESPs could bind with IL2, IL17, and IFN-γ, respectively, which indicated that adult F. hepatica may evade the host immune responses through directly interplaying with cytokines. In addition, nine proteins in FhESPs could adhere to PBMCs. Our findings provided potential targets as immuno-regulators, and will be helpful to elucidate the molecular basis of host-parasite interactions and search for new potential proteins as vaccine and drug target candidates.

Excretory/secretory products from two Fasciola hepatica isolates induce different transcriptional changes and IL-10 release in LPS-activated bovine "BOMA" macrophages.

Fasciola hepatica are trematodes that reside in the bile ducts of mammals. Infection causes US$3 billion in losses annually in animal production and is considered a zoonosis of growing importance. An under-represented area in F. hepatica research has been the examination of the different immunomodulatory abilities of various parasite isolates on the host immune system. In this paper, this issue was explored, with the bovine macrophage cell line "BOMA". The cells were matured by LPS treatment and stimulated with excretory/secretory antigens (ES) from two Fasciola hepatica isolates: a laboratory isolate "Weybridge" (Fh-WeyES) and a wild isolate (Fh-WildES). As expected, stimulation with antigen mixtures with highly similar compositions resulted in mild transcriptomic differences. However, there were significant differences in cytokine levels. Compared to Fh-WeyES, exposure to Fh-WildES upregulated 27 and downregulated 30 genes. Fh-ES from both isolates diminished the release of TNF-α, whereas only Fh-WildES decreased IL-10 secretion. Neither Fh-WeyES nor Fh-WildES had an impact on IL-12 release. Our results indicate that various isolates can have different immunomodulatory abilities and impacts on the bovine immune system.

Combined effects of social stress and liver fluke infection in a mouse model.

The effects of two influences, social stress and acute opisthorchiasis, were investigated in inbred C57BL/6J male mice. In the model of social stress, mice were repeatedly attacked and defeated by aggressive outbred ICR male mice and were in continuous sensory contact with an aggressive conspecific mouse in their home cage for 20 days. Acute opisthorchiasis was provoked by invasion of Opisthorchis felineus (50 larvae per animal) on the fourth day after the social stress was induced. Simultaneous action of both factors caused the hypertrophy of adrenal glands, as well as elevated the activity of cathepsins B and L in the spleen. This effect on the activity of the cysteine proteases in the hippocampus and hypothalamus following O. felineus invasion was the predominant result of simultaneous action with social stress. Acute opisthorchiasis, social stress, and their combination caused an increase in the level of blood IL-6 in approximately 30% of the animals. Social stress induced a more pronounced effect on mouse plus-maze behavior than O. felineus invasion. Our results suggest a more severe negative effect of the simultaneous influence of both factors on most of the parameters that were investigated.

Relation between iron metabolism and antioxidants enzymes and δ-ALA-D activity in rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the iron metabolism in serum, as well as antioxidant enzymes, in addition to the Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) activity in the liver of rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica. Thirty male adult rats (Wistar) specific pathogen free were divided into four groups: two uninfected group (CTRL 1 and CTRL 2) with five animals each and two infected groups (INF 1 and INF 2) with 10 animals each. Infection was performed orally with 20 metacercariae at day 1. On day 15 (CTRL 1 and INF 1 groups) and 87 PI (CTRL 2 and INF 2 groups) blood and bone marrow were collected and the animals were subsequently euthanized for liver sampling. Blood was allocated in tubes without anticoagulant for serum acquisition to measure iron, transferrin and unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC). δ-ALA-D, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were measured in the liver. A decrease in iron, transferrin and UIBC levels was observed in all infected animals compared to control groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, iron accumulation was observed in bone marrow of infected mice. Infected animals showed an increase in δ-ALA-D activity at 87 post-infection (PI) (INF 2) as well as in SOD activity at days 15 (INF 1) and 87 PI (INF 2). On the other hand, CAT activity was reduced in rats infected by F. hepatica during acute and chronic phase of fasciolosis (INF 1 and INF 2 groups), when moderate (acute) and severe necrosis in the liver histopathology were observed. These results may suggest that oxidative damage to tissues along with antioxidant mechanisms might have taken part in fasciolosis pathogenesis and are also involved in iron deficiency associated to changes in δ-ALA-D activity during chronic phase of disease.

Study of surface carbohydrates in Galba truncatula tissues before and after infection with Fasciola hepatica.

The presence and distribution of surface carbohydrates in the tissues of Galba truncatula snails uninfected or after infection with Fasciola hepatica as well as on the surface of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of the parasite were studied by lectin labelling assay. This is an attempt to find similarities that indicate possible mimicry, utilised by the parasite as an evasion strategy in this snail-trematode system. Different binding patterns were identified on head-foot-mantle, hepatopancreas, genital glands, renopericardial complex of the host as well as of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of F. hepatica. The infection with F. hepatica leads to changes of labelling with Glycine max in the head-mantle cells and Arachis hypogaea in the tubular epithelium of the hepatopancreas. The lectin binding on the other snail tissues is not changed by the development of the larvae. Our data clearly demonstrated the similarity in labelling of G. truncatula tissues and the surface of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of F. hepatica. The role of glycosylation of the contact surfaces of both organisms in relation to the host-parasite interactions is also discussed.

Oxidative stress associated with pathological lesions in the liver of rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica.

The aim of this study was to analyze the antioxidant status and oxidative profile in serum and liver of rats experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica and its relationship with pathological findings. Twenty-four rats were divided into two groups: group A consisted of 12 healthy rats and group B of 12 rats infected orally with 20 metacercaria of F. hepatica. At days 20 and 150 post-infection (PI), blood and liver samples of six animals from each group were collected. The protein oxidation (AOPP technique: advanced oxidation protein products) and antioxidants (FRAP technique: ferric reducing antioxidant power) levels were measured in serum and liver. Furthermore, nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels and lipid peroxidation (TBARS technique: thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were measured in liver. AOPP and FRAP levels were increased (P < 0.05) in serum and liver of infected animals in acute and chronic infection when compared with healthy animals. The same occurred with TBARS and NOx levels in the liver (P < 0.05). Histopathology revealed periportal fibrous hepatitis, composed of an abundant inflammatory infiltrate in portal spaces on infected animals, as well as bile duct hyperplasia. The results found seem to be related to the host free radical production demonstrated in serum samples and liver due to the parasite infection.

Generating a detailed protein profile of Fasciola hepatica during the chronic stage of infection in cattle.

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode helminth causing a damaging disease, fasciolosis, in ruminants and humans. Comprehensive proteomic studies broaden our knowledge of the parasite's protein profile, and provide new insights into the development of more effective strategies to deal with fasciolosis. The objective of this study was to generate a comprehensive profile of F. hepatica proteins expressed during the chronic stage of infection in cattle by building on previous efforts in this area. The approach included an improved sample preparation procedure for surface and internal layers of the parasite, the application of nano-UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS (nano-ultra-performance LC and ESI quadrupole TOF MS) integrated with different acquisition methods and in silico database search against various protein databases and a transcript database including a new assembly of publically available EST. Of a total of 776 identified proteins, 206 and 332 were specific to the surface and internal layers of the parasite, respectively. Furthermore, 238 proteins were common to both layers, with comparative differences of 172 proteins detected. Specific proteins not previously identified in F. hepatica, but shown to be immunomodulatory or potential drug targets for other parasites, are discussed.

Time-course and accumulation of triclabendazole and its metabolites in bile, liver tissues and flukes collected from treated sheep.

The flukicidal compound triclabendazole (TCBZ) has a complex metabolic pattern that includes the systemic presence of its sulphoxide (TCBZ.SO) and sulphone (TCBZ.SO2) metabolites, usually recovered from the bile of treated animals. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the time-course and pattern of in vivo accumulation of TCBZ/metabolites into adult Fasciola hepatica specimens recovered from infected sheep. Twelve (12) healthy Corriedale sheep were orally infected with one hundred (100) metacercariae of the TCBZ-susceptible Cullomptom isolate of F. hepatica. Sixteen weeks after infection, animals were intraruminally treated with TCBZ (10mg/kg). At 3, 24, 48 and 60h post-treatment (pt), animals were sacrificed (n=3/time period) and samples of blood, bile, liver tissue and adult F. hepatica specimens were collected. The concentrations of TCBZ/metabolites were measured by HPLC. TCBZ.SO and TCBZ.SO2 were the only molecules recovered in the bloodstream, with peak plasma concentrations of 10.8µg/mL (TCBZ.SO) and 12.6µg/mL (TCBZ.SO2). The same metabolites were also the main analytes accumulated within the adult flukes, reaching peak concentrations between 6.35µg/g (TCBZ.SO) and 13.9µg/g (TCBZ.SO2) at 24h pt, which was coincident with the time when the maximum plasma concentration was attained. Low levels of TCBZ parent drug (0.14µg/g at 24h pt) were measured within collected flukes. TCBZ parent drug and its sulpho- and hydroxy-derivatives were recovered in bile collected from treated sheep between 3 and 60h pt. Although relatively high concentrations of hydroxy-TCBZ (ranging from 0.86 to 10.1µg/mL) were measured in bile, this metabolite was not recovered within the flukes at any time pt. Finally, TCBZ parent drug was the main compound accumulated in liver tissue over the 60h pt period. The time-course and drug concentration patterns within the adult liver fluke after TCBZ treatment followed a similar trend to those observed in plasma. Overall, the data reported here confirm that oral ingestion is a main route of drug entry into the trematode in vivo exposed to TCBZ/metabolites. However, the presence of TCBZ within the adult fluke (despite being absent in the systemic circulation) may be related to some degree of trans-tegumental diffusion from bile or by a direct oral ingestion from portal blood.

Th1 and Th2 cytokine gene expression in primary infection and vaccination against Fasciola gigantica in buffaloes by real-time PCR.

Th1 and Th2 cytokine gene expression in buffalo calves during primary infection with Fasciola gigantica as well as in response to immunization with the parasite recombinant fatty acid binding protein (rFABP) and recombinant glutathione S-transferase (rGST) proteins was measured at 14th week of infection by real-time PCR with the double-stranded DNA-binding dye SYBR Green. Experimental animals were randomly distributed into FABP, GST, cocktail, challenge and healthy groups. Animals in groups FABP and GST were immunized with 400 µg rFABP and rGST, respectively, and cocktail group with a mixture of 400 µg each of rFABP and rGST in the neck and thigh muscles. All animals received three immunizations at 3-week interval. Calves were challenged per os with 400 viable metacercariae along with the unimmunized challenge control group 1 month after the last immunization. Expression of various cytokines in response to the immunization and parasite primary infection was measured by real-time PCR. Expression of IL-2 (4.5-fold) and IFN-γ (3.2-fold), followed by IL-6 (1.7-fold) and IL-4 (1.6-fold), with downregulation of TNF-α and IL-10 was observed in response to F. gigantica infection in these animals. However, there was a sharp increase in the expression of the IL-4 (211.93 and 111.81-fold) and IL-6 mRNA (219.22 and 48.29-fold) to GST and FABP immunizations, respectively. A downregulation of the IL-1α, a Th1 cytokine in response to FABP and GST immunization in these calves, was also observed. Overall, a mixed type of Th1 and Th2 cytokine environment was evoked to chronic F. gigantica infection and immunization with the above two recombinant proteins in buffaloes.

The regulatory roles of Fasciola hepatica GSTO1 protein in inflammatory cytokine expression and apoptosis in murine macrophages.

Fascioliasis, a global zoonotic parasitic disease, is mainly caused by Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) parasitizing in the livers of hosts, mainly humans and herbivores. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is one of the important excretory- secretory products (ESPs) from F. hepatica, however, the regulatory roles of its Omega subtype in the immunomodulatory effects remain unknown. Here, we expressed F. hepatica recombinant GSTO1 protein (rGSTO1) in Pichia pastoris and analyzed its antioxidant properties. Then, the interaction between F. hepatica rGSTO1 and RAW264.7 macrophages and its effects on inflammatory responses and cell apoptosis were further explored. The results revealed that GSTO1 of F. hepatica owned the potent ability to resist oxidative stress. F. hepatica rGSTO1 could interact with RAW264.7 macrophages and inhibit its cell viability, furthermore, it may suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, but promote the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In addition, F. hepatica rGSTO1 may down-regulate the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, and increase the expression of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3, thereby eliciting the apoptosis of macrophages. Notably, F. hepatica rGSTO1 inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen­activated protein kinases (MAPKs p38, ERK and JNK) pathways in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells, exerting potent modulatory effects on macrophages. These findings suggested that F. hepatica GSTO1 can modulate the host immune response, which provided new insights into the immune evasion mechanism of F. hepatica infection in host.

PRKAR1A overexpression is associated with increased ECPKA autoantibody in liver fluke-associated cholangiocarcinoma: application for assessment of the risk group.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) associated with Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) chronic infection is the most frequent primary liver cancer in Thailand, and current approaches to early diagnosis and curative treatments are largely disappointing. We hypothesize a role for protein kinase A (PKA) in Ov-induced CCA. First, we studied the PKA isozyme switching in the liver from the hamster CCA model using quantitative (q) PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical and western blot analysis. Second, the presence of extracellular PKA (ECPKA) in CCA cell lines and their conditioned media was demonstrated by western blot and PKA activity assay. Third, we determined the association between PRKAR1A expression and serum ECPKA autoantibody in patients with CCA by ELISA. We demonstrated that an increased PRKAR1A expression is restricted to the biliary cells starting from week 1, with remarkable up-regulation when CCA has completely developed by week 24. The switching of the PKA regulatory subunit isoforms from PRKAR2B/PKAII to PRKAR1A/PKAI is significantly associated with cholangiocyte proliferation. Further, we observed that human CCA cell lines express PRKAR1A but not PRKAR2B and excrete ECPKA. Finally, ECPKA autoantibodies are detected in serum of patients with CCA, adenocarcinoma, and Ov infection with periductal fibrosis, but not from Ov-infected subjects without periductal fibrosis lesion and healthy controls. We conclude that PKA isozyme switching and the PRKAR1A/PKAI pathway might contribute to the induction of cholangiocyte transformation and proliferation in Ov-induced CCA. Overexpression of PRKAR1A leads to secretion of ECPKA which is associated with serum autoantibody that may constitute a biomarker for human CCA genesis.

Liver fluke-induced hepatic oxysterols stimulate DNA damage and apoptosis in cultured human cholangiocytes.

Oxysterols are cholesterol oxidation products that are generated by enzymatic reactions through cytochrome P450 family enzymes or by non-enzymatic reactions involving reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Oxysterols have been identified in bile in the setting of chronic inflammation, suggesting that biliary epithelial cells are chronically exposed to these compounds in certain clinical settings. We hypothesized that biliary oxysterols resulting from liver fluke infection participate in cholangiocarcinogenesis. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we identified oxysterols in livers from hamsters infected with Opisthorchis viverrini that develop cholangiocarcinoma. Five oxysterols were found: 7-keto-cholesta-3,5-diene (7KD), 3-keto-cholest-4-ene (3K4), 3-keto-cholest-7-ene (3K7), 3-keto-cholesta-4,6-diene (3KD), and cholestan-3ß,5α,6ß-triol (Triol). Triol and 3K4 were found at significantly higher levels in the livers of hamsters with O. viverrini-induced cholangiocarcinoma. We therefore investigated the effects of Triol and 3K4 on induction of cholangiocarcinogenesis using an in vitro human cholangiocyte culture model. Triol- and 3K4-treated cells underwent apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed significantly increased levels of Bax and decreased levels of Bcl-2 in these cells. Increased cytochrome c release from mitochondria was found following treatment with Triol and 3K4. Triol and 3K4 also induced formation of the DNA adducts 1,N(6)-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine, 3,N(4)-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine in cholangiocytes. The data suggest that Triol and 3K4 cause DNA damage via oxidative stress. Chronic liver fluke infection increases production of the oxysterols Triol and 3K4 in the setting of chronic inflammation in the biliary system. These oxysterols induce apoptosis and DNA damage in cholangiocytes. Insufficient and impaired DNA repair of such mutated cells may enhance clonal expansion and further drive the change in cellular phenotype from normal to malignant.

In vivo studies of the early, peritoneal, cellular and free radical response in rats infected with Fasciola hepatica by flow cytometric analysis.

Early recruitment of the peritoneal cell population was observed during migration of newly excysted juvenile flukes. The peritoneal lavages were examined for T cells, cytotoxic NK cells (CNK) and free radicals production of rats at an early stage of infection by Fasciola hepatica. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with 50 metacercariae of F. hepatica and non-infected controls were euthanized 2, 4 and 7 days post infection (d.p.i.), respectively. The peritoneal fluid of experimental animals was analyzed by flow cytometry to estimate cell phenotypes. The peritoneal areas were infiltrated by inflammatory cells, particularly from numerous neutrophils, eosinophils and CD4+ lymphocytes, which were significantly higher for infected rats than non-infected. CNK cells dominated in the peritoneal fluid of infected rats as early as 2d.p.i. However, after 4d.p.i. there was a decreased level of CNK cells which may indicate a change from a cytotoxic natural killer (NK) to a regulatory NK response. The challenged group generated very high in vivo levels of inducible nitric oxide (NO) from eosinophils. Superoxide expression was very high in macrophages and neutrophils compared to the uninfected control. In conclusion, our studies suggest that early F. hepatica infection could directly affect lymphoid cells and generate a high in vivo NO production by eosinophils in the peritoneal cavity. Moreover juvenile flukes could stimulate the macrophages and neutrophils to generate H(2)O(2) radicals. The host parasite interactions resulting from immune response regulation by effector cells and immune evasion are discussed.

Inhibition of triclabendazole metabolism in vitro by ketoconazole increases disruption to the tegument of a triclabendazole-resistant isolate of Fasciola hepatica.

A study has been carried out to investigate whether the action of triclabendazole (TCBZ) against Fasciola hepatica is altered by inhibition of drug metabolism. The cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) enzyme pathway was inhibited using ketoconazole (KTZ) to see whether a TCBZ-resistant isolate could be made more sensitive to TCBZ action. The Oberon TCBZ-resistant and Cullompton TCBZ-susceptible isolates were used for these experiments. The CYP 450 system was inhibited by a 2-h pre-incubation in ketoconazole (40 µM), then incubated for a further 22 h in NCTC medium containing either KTZ, KTZ + nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) (1 nM), KTZ + NADPH + TCBZ (15 µg/ml), or KTZ + NADPH + triclabendazole sulphoxide (TCBZ.SO; 15 µg/ml). Changes to fluke ultrastructure following drug treatment and metabolic inhibition were assessed using transmission electron microscopy. After treatment with either TCBZ or TCBZ.SO on their own, there was greater disruption to the TCBZ-susceptible than TCBZ-resistant isolate. However, co-incubation with KTZ + TCBZ, but more particularly KTZ + TCBZ.SO, led to more severe changes to the TCBZ-resistant isolate than with each drug on its own: in the syncytium, for example, there was severe swelling of the basal infolds and their associated mucopolysaccharide masses, accompanied by an accumulation of secretory bodies just below the apex. Golgi complexes were greatly reduced or absent in the tegumental cells and the synthesis, production, and transport of secretory bodies were badly disrupted. With the TCBZ-susceptible Cullompton isolate, there was limited potentiation of drug action. The results support the concept of altered drug metabolism in TCBZ-resistant flukes and this process may play a role in the development of drug resistance.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Ovine Hepatic Lymph Node Following Fasciola hepatica Infection - Inhibition of NK Cell and IgE-Mediated Signaling.

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite responsible for major economic losses in livestock production, and is also a food-borne zoonotic agent in developing rural regions. For years, the immunoregulatory mechanisms employed by the parasite have hampered efforts to develop a successful vaccine candidate. Given that a comprehensive understanding of the immune response to infection is needed, we investigated the gene expression changes in ovine hepatic lymph nodes after experimental infection with F. hepatica. Lymph nodes from uninfected and infected animals were processed for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) at 16 weeks post-infection. Comparison of groups revealed 5,132 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs). An inhibition of pro-inflammatory pathways, which has previously been described during fasciolosis, was evident in our data. However, other signals previously identified in ruminant peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or liver tissue, such as activation of TGF-ß or apoptosis-related pathways were not detected. We found inhibition of some key immunological pathways, including natural killer (NK) cell activity and IgE-mediated signaling. These may point to additional some as yet unrecognized mechanisms employed by the parasite to evade the host immune response. Understanding these, and leveraging information from this and other omics studies, will be important for the development of future vaccine prototypes against this parasite.

Fasciola hepatica hijacks host macrophage miRNA machinery to modulate early innate immune responses.

Fasciola hepatica, a global worm parasite of humans and their livestock, regulates host innate immune responses within hours of infection. Host macrophages, essential to the first-line defence mechanisms, are quickly restricted in their ability to initiate a classic protective pro-inflammatory immune response. We found that macrophages from infected animals are enriched with parasite-derived micro(mi)RNAs. The most abundant of these miRNAs, fhe-miR-125b, is released by the parasite via exosomes and is homologous to a mammalian miRNA, hsa-miR-125b, that is known to regulate the activation of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages. We show that the parasite fhe-miR-125b loads onto the mammalian Argonaut protein (Ago-2) within macrophages during infection and, therefore, propose that it mimics host miR-125b to negatively regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines. The hijacking of the miRNA machinery controlling innate cell function could be a fundamental mechanism by which worm parasites disarm the early immune responses of their host to ensure successful infection.

Oxidative status and changes in the adenosine deaminase activity in experimental host infected with tropical liver fluke, Fasciola gigantica.

Fine tuning of the metabolic, physiological and immunological cues along with interplay between the biomolecules of the host and the parasite could be responsible for the successful establishment of parasitic infections. The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the oxidative status and the level of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the serum and liver of rabbits experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica. A significant increase in level of ROS, MDA and 4-HNE along with a decline in the SOD, CAT, GR and GST activity was evident in rabbits experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica. However, there was an increase in the GPX activity in the sera of infected rabbits. The increased GPX activity and decreased GR activity would have resulted in the depletion of GSH, a key non-enzymatic antioxidant, in the infected animals. The level of GSSG was also found to be higher in the sera and liver tissues of the infected rabbits along with a decline in the GSH/GSSG ratio, indicating a high level of oxidative stress in the infected animals, which also showed a significant increase in the activity of the marker enzymes of liver pathology, AST and ALT. Further, a significant inhibition of the adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in the infected rabbits was accompanied with the reduction in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-6 while the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-4 level was significantly elevated. In conclusion, the F. gigantica induced significant oxidative stress as evident from the increased levels of ROS and lipid peroxidation along with the disruption of antioxidant and detoxification cascade ultimately lead to pathogenic and inflammatory responses in the experimental host. Whereas, the altered ADA activity could modulate the host's immune responses toward Th-2 type and would facilitate the successful establishment of flukes within their host, thus indicating that ADA could be exploited as a target for the development of novel anthelmintic drugs against fasciolosis.

Involvement of a mitochondrial pathway and key role of hydrogen peroxide during eosinophil apoptosis induced by excretory-secretory products from Fasciola hepatica.

Eosinophils (Eo) are typically associated with immune response to helminth. Previously, we demonstrated that excretory-secretory products (ESP) from Fasciola hepatica induce eosinophil apoptosis by a caspase-dependent mechanism. In this study, we observed that ESP caused mitochondrial-membrane depolarization of eosinophils leading to the release of cytochrome c. Also, ESP induced an increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which preceded the mitochondrial injury. We found a significant rise in hydrogen peroxide, but not in the anion superoxide levels. Furthermore, catalase, but not superoxide dismutase, inhibited the mitochondrial depolarization as well as apoptosis. So, ESP induce in Eo an early increase in the ROS production, mainly hydrogen peroxide, which precedes mitochondrial injury and leads again to apoptosis. Finally, we demonstrated the participation of hydrogen peroxide in the peritoneal Eo apoptosis in vivo, both during the early stages of experimental fasciolosis in rats and after intraperitoneal ESP treatment.