The impact of ICOSL/ICOS pathway-regulated long non-coding RNAs on liver fibrosis in mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum.

BACKGROUND: The primary pathogenic mechanism of schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis involves the deposition of schistosome eggs, leading to the formation of liver egg granulomas and subsequent liver fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells are abnormally activated, resulting in excessive collagen deposition and fibrosis development. While specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with fibrotic processes, their roles in schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis remain unclear. METHODS: Our previous research indicated that downregulating the ICOSL/ICOS could partially alleviate liver fibrosis. In this study, we established a schistosomiasis infection model in C57BL/6 and ICOSL knockout (KO) mice, and the liver pathology changes were observed at various weeks postinfection (wpi) using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. Within the first 4 wpi, no significant liver abnormalities were observed. However, mice exhibited evident egg granulomas and fibrosis in their livers at 7 wpi. Notably, ICOSL-KO mice had significantly smaller pathological variations compared with simultaneously infected C57BL/6 mice. To investigate the impact of lncRNAs on schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to monitor the dynamic changes of lncRNAs in hepatic stellate cells of infected mice. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that lncRNA-H19, -MALAT1, -PVT1, -P21 and -GAS5 all participated in liver fibrosis formation after schistosome infection. In addition, ICOSL-KO mice exhibited significantly inhibited expression of lncRNA-H19, -MALAT1 and -PVT1 after 7 wpi. In contrast, they showed enhanced expression of lncRNA-P21 and -GAS5 compared with C57BL/6 mice, influencing liver fibrosis development. Furthermore, small interfering RNA transfection (siRNA) in JS-1 cells in vitro confirmed that lncRNA-H19, -MALAT1, and -PVT1 promoted liver fibrosis, whereas lncRNA-P21 and -GAS5 had the opposite effect on key fibrotic molecules, including α- smooth muscle actin and collagen I expression. CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovers that ICOSL/ICOS may play a role in activating hepatic stellate cells and promoting liver fibrosis in mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum by dynamically regulating the expression of specific lncRNAs. These findings offer potential therapeutic targets for schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis.

Dysregulated Glucuronidation of Bilirubin Exacerbates Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis in Schistosomiasis Japonica through the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Hepatic fibrosis is an important pathological manifestation of chronic schistosome infection. Patients with advanced schistosomiasis show varying degrees of abnormalities in liver fibrosis indicators and bilirubin metabolism. However, the relationship between hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis and dysregulated bilirubin metabolism remains unclear. In this study, we observed a positive correlation between total bilirubin levels and the levels of ALT, AST, LN, and CIV in patients with advanced schistosomiasis. Additionally, we established mouse models at different time points following S. japonicum infection. As the infection time increased, liver fibrosis escalated, while liver UGT1A1 consistently exhibited a low expression, indicating impaired glucuronidation of bilirubin metabolism in mice. In vitro experiments suggested that SEA may be a key inhibitor of hepatic UGT1A1 expression after schistosome infection. Furthermore, a high concentration of bilirubin activated the NF-κB signaling pathway in L-O2 cells in vitro. These findings suggested that the dysregulated glucuronidation of bilirubin caused by S. japonicum infection may play a significant role in schistosomiasis liver fibrosis through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

The egg ribonuclease SjCP1412 accelerates liver fibrosis caused by Schistosoma japonicum infection involving damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).

Schistosomiasis, a parasite infectious disease caused by Schistosoma japonicum, often leads to egg granuloma and fibrosis due to the inflammatory reaction triggered by egg antigens released in the host liver. This study focuses on the role of the egg antigens CP1412 protein of S. japonicum (SjCP1412) with RNase activity in promoting liver fibrosis. In this study, the recombinant egg ribonuclease SjCP1412, which had RNase activity, was successfully prepared. By analysing the serum of the population, it has been proven that the anti-SjCP1412 IgG in the serum of patients with advanced schistosomiasis was moderately correlated with liver fibrosis, and SjCP1412 may be an important antigen associated with liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis. In vitro, the rSjCP1412 protein induced the human liver cancer cell line Hep G2 and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells apoptosis and necrosis and the release of proinflammatory damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In mice infected with schistosomes, rSjCP1412 immunization or antibody neutralization of SjCP1412 activity significantly reduced cell apoptosis and necroptosis in liver tissue, thereby reducing inflammation and liver fibrosis. In summary, the SjCP1412 protein plays a crucial role in promoting liver fibrosis during schistosomiasis through mediating the liver cells apoptosis and necroptosis to release DAMPs inducing an inflammatory reaction. Blocking SjCP1412 activity could inhibit its proapoptotic and necrotic effects and alleviate hepatic fibrosis. These findings suggest that SjCP1412 may be served as a promising drug target for managing liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis japonica.

Study on Crystallization Process of Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 Glass-Ceramics Based on In Situ Analysis.

In this paper, we used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD), and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) to investigate the Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass crystallization process. At 943 K, lithium disilicate (Li2Si2O5) phase crystals began to precipitate in the Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass with a crystal size of 50-70 nm. At the temperature of 1009 K, petalite (LiAlSi4O10) crystals began to precipitate in the vitreous phase, forming composite spherical crystals of LiAlSi4O10 and Li2Si2O5 with size in the range of 90-130 nm. Furthermore, the Kissinger method and KAS method of the JMAK model were used to calculate the crystallization activation energy and the Avrami index "n". It was found that the precipitation mechanism of the two kinds of crystals is whole crystallization; accordingly, the selection of crystallization heat treatment system was guided to determine the nucleation and crystallization temperature.

Comparative proteomics analysis of Schistosoma japonicum developed in different Oncomelania snails as intermediate hosts.

Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic disease that seriously endangers humans and animals. In this study, two Oncomelania snails, Oncomelania hupensis (O. hupensis) and Oncomelania weishan (O. weishan), were infected with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) cercariae during the early period, and ICR mice were subsequently infected with two kinds of miracidia that developed in male and female adult worms. In this study, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) were used to identify four channels: 113, 115, 117, and 119. A total of 2364 adult schistosome proteins were identified, and 1901 proteins were quantitative. Our results revealed 68 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in female adult worms, including 24 upregulated proteins and 44 downregulated proteins, and 55 DEPs in male adult worms, including 25 upregulated proteins and 30 downregulated proteins. LC-MS/MS and bioinformatics analysis indicated that these DEPs are mainly concentrated in cellular composition, molecular function, biological function and catabolism pathways. In summary, this proteomics analysis of adult schistosomes that hatched in two intermediate hosts helps to improve our understanding of the growth and developmental mechanisms of S. japonicum.

Corrigendum: Comparative proteomics analysis of Schistosoma japonicum developed in different Oncomelania snails as intermediate hosts.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.959766.].

Analysis of Intestinal Microflora and Metabolites From Mice With DSS-Induced IBD Treated With Schistosoma Soluble Egg Antigen.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the changes in intestinal flora and metabolites in the intestinal contents of mice with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to preliminarily clarify the mechanism of action of Schistosoma soluble egg antigen (SEA) on IBD, thus, laying a research foundation for the subsequent treatment of IBD. Methods: A total of 40 Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were divided into four groups: control, SEA 50 µg, dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), and SEA 50 µg + DSS. The overall state of the animals was observed continuously during modeling. The colonic length was measured after 10 days of modeling. The degree of colonic inflammation was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. 16srRNA and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry sequencing techniques were used to determine the abundance of bacteria and metabolites in the intestinal contents of mice in the DSS and SEA 50 µg + DSS groups, and the differences were further analyzed. Results: After SEA intervention, the disease activity index score of mice with IBD decreased and the colon shortening was reduced. Microscopically, the lymphocyte aggregation, glandular atrophy, goblet cell disappearance, and colonic inflammation were less in the SEA 50 µg + DSS group than in the DSS group (p < 0.0001). After SEA intervention, the abundance of beneficial bacteria prevotellaceae_UCG-001 was upregulated, while the abundance of the harmful bacteria Helicobacter, Lachnoclostridium, and Enterococcus was downregulated in the intestinal tract of mice with IBD. The intestinal metabolite analysis showed that SEA intervention decreased the intestinal contents of glycerophospholipids (lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phatidylcholine, and phatidylethanolamine) and carboxylic acids (L-alloisoleucine and L-glutamate), whereas increased bile acids and their derivatives (3B,7A,12a-trihydroxy-5A-cholanoic acid and 3A,4B, 12a-trihydroxy-5b-cholanoic acid). Combined microbiota-metabolite analysis revealed a correlation between these differential microbiota and differential metabolites. At the same time, the changes in the contents of metabolites and differential metabolites in the two groups also correlated with the abundance of the gut microbiome. Conclusions: The study showed that SEA reduced DSS-induced inflammation in IBD and improved the symptoms of IBD in mice through the combined regulation of intestinal flora and intestinal metabolism. It suggested a potential possibility for the use of SEA in treating and regulating intestinal flora and metabolism in patients with IBD.

UHPLC-MS-Based Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Process of Schistosomiasis in Mice.

Metabolomics, as an emerging technology, has been demonstrated to be a very powerful tool in the study of the host metabolic responses to infections by parasites. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by schistosoma worm via the direct contact with the water containing cercaria, among which Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) is endemic in Asia. In order to characterize the schistosome-induced changes in the host metabolism and further to develop the strategy for early diagnosis of schistosomiasis, we performed comprehensive LC-MS-based metabolomics analysis of serum from mice infected by S. japonicum for 5 weeks. With the developed diagnosis strategy based on our metabolomics data, we were able to successfully detect schistosomiasis at the first week post-infection, which was 3 weeks earlier than "gold standard" methods and 2 weeks earlier than the methods based on 1H NMR spectroscopy. Our metabolomics study revealed that S. japonicum infection induced the metabolic changes involved in a variety of metabolic pathways including amino acid metabolism, DNA and RNA biosynthesis, phospholipid metabolism, depression of energy metabolism, glucose uptake and metabolism, and disruption of gut microbiota metabolism. In addition, we identified seventeen specific metabolites whose down-regulated profiles were closely correlated with the time-course of schistosomiasis progression and can also be used as an indicator for the worm-burdens. Interestingly, the decrease of these seventeen metabolites was particularly remarkable at the first week post-infection. Thus, our findings on mechanisms of host-parasite interaction during the disease process pave the way for the development of an early diagnosis tool and provide more insightful understandings of the potential metabolic process associated with schistosomiasis in mice. Furthermore, the diagnosis strategy developed in this work is cost-effective and is superior to other currently used diagnosis methods.

Xiaochaihu decorction relieves liver fibrosis caused by Schistosoma japonicum infection via the HSP47/TGF-ß pathway.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic fibrosis caused by chronic infection with Schistosoma japonica remains a serious public health problem in the world. Symptoms include inflammation, liver granuloma and fibrosis, whilst treatment options are still limited. This study aims to investigate whether and how traditional Chinese medicine Xiaochaihu decoction (XCH) could mitigate liver fibrosis caused by S. japonicum infection. METHODS: BALB/c mice were infected with S. japonicum cercariae and treated with XCH for 16 weeks. Liver pathological changes were assessed by H&E and Masson staining. NIH3T3 and Raw264.7 cells were treated with S. japonicum egg antigens with or without XCH treatment. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunfluorescence and ELISA were performed to determine the changes of levels of fibrogenic markers. RESULTS: XCH protected mouse liver from injuries and fibrosis caused by S. japonicum infection and considerably reduced egg burden in a dose-dependent manner. Infection with S. japonicum caused elevation of serum ALT, AST, ALP, HA and PIIINP levels and reduction of ALB and GLOB levels, which was markedly suppressed by XCH. The upregulation of TGF-ß1, Hsp47, α-SMA, Col1A1 and Col3A1 in S. japonicum-infected mouse liver was also significantly inhibited by XCH. Schistosoma japonicum egg antigens promoted the expression of Hsp47, TGF-ß1, Timp-1, α-SMA, Col1A1 and Col3A1 in NIH3T3 cells, and TGF-ß1, CTGF, IL-13, IL-17 and IL-6 in Raw264.7 cells, which was inhibited by XCH, LY2157299 and shRNA-Hsp47. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that the hepatic protective effects of Xiaochaihu decoction were mediated by HSP47/TGF-ß axis.

Gene Expression in Developmental Stages of Schistosoma japonicum Provides Further Insight into the Importance of the Schistosome Insulin-Like Peptide.

We showed previously that the Schistosoma japonicum insulin-like peptide (SjILP) binds the worm insulin receptors, thereby, activating the parasite's insulin pathway and emphasizing its important role in regulating uptake of glucose, a nutrient essential for parasite survival. Here we show that SjILP is differentially expressed in the schistosome life cycle and is especially highly transcribed in eggs, miracidia, and adult female worms. RNA inference was employed to knockdown SjILP in adults in vitro, with suppression confirmed by significantly reduced protein production, declined adenosine diphosphate levels, and reduction in glucose consumption. Immunolocalization showed that SjILP is located to lateral gland cells of mature intra-ovular miracidia in the schistosome egg, and is distributed on the ciliated epithelium and internal cell masses of newly transformed miracidia. In schistosomula, SjILP is present on the tegument in two antero-lateral points, indicating highly polarized expression during cercarial transformation. Analysis of serum from S. japonicum-infected mice by ELISA using a recombinant form of SjILP as an antigen revealed IgG immunoreactivity to this molecule at 7 weeks post-infection indicating it is likely secreted from mature eggs into the host circulation. These findings provide further insights on ILP function in schistosomes and its essential roles in parasite survival and growth in different development stages.

Fabrication of Lattice-Doped TiO2 Nanofibers by Vapor-Phase Growth for Visible Light-Driven N2 Conversion to Ammonia.

In the past decades, enormous efforts have been made to synthesize photocatalysts for N2 conversion driven by visible light. However, it is still a major challenge to develop an efficient photocatalyst. In this paper, monodoped and codoped TiO2 nanofibers were fabricated by vapor-phase growth. Vapor-phase implantation of the guest atoms into TiO2 nanofibers may greatly prolong the lifetime of electron-hole pairs. The doped TiO2 nanofibers were demonstrated to be an excellent photocatalyst for nitrogen photofixation under a 300 W Xe-lamp irradiation. The amount of ammonia produced over the Fe, V codoped TiO2 nanofibers reached 14 783 µmol/L·g-cata after irradiation for 2 h. The strategy could be easily extended to prepare other species doped TiO2 nanofibers as high-efficiency photocatalysts.

Enhanced Hydrolysis of Cellulose in Ionic Liquid Using Mesoporous ZSM-5.

Mesoporous ZSM-5 prepared by alkaline treatment was demonstrated as an efficient catalyst for the cellulose hydrolysis in ionic liquid (IL), affording a high yield of reducing sugar. It was demonstrated that mesoporous ZSM-5 (SiO2/Al2O3 = 38) had 76.2% cellulose conversion and 49.6% yield of total reducing sugar (TRS). In comparison, the conventional ZSM-5 had a mere 41.3% cellulose conversion with 33.2% yield of TRS. The results indicated that the important role of mesopores in zeolites in elevating the TRS yield may be due to the diffusional alleviation of cellulose macromolecules. The effects of reaction time, temperature, and the ratio of catalyst to cellulose were investigated for optimal reaction conditions. It was found that IL could enter the inner channel of mesoporous ZSM-5 to promote the generation of H⁺ from Brönsted acid sites, which facilitated hydrolysis. Moreover, the mesoporous ZSM-5 showed excellent reusability for catalytic cycles by means of calcination of the used one, promising for its practical applications in the hydrolysis of cellulose.

Coptis Chinensis affects the function of glioma cells through the down-regulation of phosphorylation of STAT3 by reducing HDAC3.

BACKGROUND: Glioma remains the most common cause of brain cancer-related mortality. Glioma accounts for 50-60% of brain cancer. Due to their low toxicity and infrequent side effects, traditional herbs have been increasingly popular. Coptis Chinensis is commonly used in cancer treatment in combination with other Chinese Medicine herbs. However, little is known about its biological functions and mechanisms in glioma cells. METHODS: In this study, the anti-glioma cell effect of Coptis Chinensis was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, plate clone test, scratch tests, flow cytometry, western blotting and a glioma xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: The results showed that Coptis Chinensis significantly suppressed glioma cell proliferation, tumor formation, migration and tumor growth, and prolonged the survival time of glioma cell-bearing mice. The flow cytometry result showed that Coptis Chinensis induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cells. Western blotting showed that Coptis Chinensis down-regulated the Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation levels and reduced the expression of Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and caspase 3. CONCLUSIONS: Coptis Chinensis can inhibit various aspects of glioma cell functions. This study provides favorable scientific evidence for the potential use of natural products such as Coptis Chinensis in the clinical treatment of patients with glioma.

Cloning and in vitro characterization of a Schistosoma japonicum aquaglyceroporin that functions in osmoregulation.

As one of the three major human pathogens that cause schistosomiasis, Schistosoma japonicum is the only one that is endemic in China. Despite great progress on schistosomiasis control over the past 50 years in China, S. japonicum transmission still occurs in certain endemic regions, which causes significant public health problems and enormous economic losses. During different life stages, parasites are able to survive dramatic osmolality changes between its vector, fresh water, and mammal host. However, the molecular mechanism of parasite osmoregulation remains unknown. To address this challenging question, we report the first cloning of an S. japonicum aquaglyceroporin (SjAQP) from an isolate from Jiangsu province, China. Expressing SjAQP in Xenopus oocytes facilitated the permeation of water, glycerol, and urea. The water permeability of SjAQP was inhibited by 1 mM HgCl2, 3 mM tetraethylammonium, 1 mM ZnCl2, and 1 mM CuSO4. SjAQP was constitutively expressed throughout the S. japonicum life cycle, including in the egg, miracidia, cercaria, and adult stages. The highest expression was detected during the infective cercaria stage. Our results suggest that SjAQP plays a role in osmoregulation throughout the S. japonicum life cycle, especially during cercariae transformation, which enables parasites to survive osmotic challenges.

New detection method in experimental mice for schistosomiasis: ClinProTool and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Oncomelania hupensis snails along the Yangtze River and the low positive rate and infectiosity of human and livestock schistosomiasis still pose a threat to public health in China. Adult blood flukes were recognized as Schistosoma japonicum, which are found in the portal system of the sentinel mice bred in the laboratory for 35 days after contact with the water. However, 35 days was too long from the field test to dissection, and the dissection in the laboratory was also time-consuming and labor-intensive. Serum peptides in mice at different times after infection were measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. ClinProTool was used to establish the proteomic detection pattern (PDP), based on the differentially expressed peptide between the infection and healthy control groups. Under experimental conditions, characteristic PDP were detected in 5 % (3/60), 35 % (21/60), 75 % (45/60), 87.93 % (51/58), and 98.15 % (53/54) of infected mice from weeks 1 to 5 post-infection, whereas ELISA and dissection examination for adult blood flukes missed the first 2 weeks. At 35 days post-infection, the infectiosity assay showed 40 % (4/10), 50 % (5/10), and 80 % (8/10) positivity with the PDP test in mice infected with 4, 6, and 10 cercariae, respectively, as well as 100 % (10/10) positivity in mice infected with 14, 18, and 22 cercariae. Five stored sera of positive sentinel mice with parasite detection were verified correctly in the PDP test. The results confirm that PDP can be used as a rapid and early detection method for S. japonicum infection in experimental mice, which are expected to apply in early surveillance for schistosomiasis.

Lithium-titanate-nanotube-supported WO3 for enhancing transmittance contrast in electrochromics.

Lithium titanate nanotubes (Li-TNTs) have been successfully synthesized. The inner and outer diameters of the nanotubes are 5 nm and 8 nm with an interlayer spacing of 0.83 nm. The nanotubes were in accordance with the Li1.81H0.19Ti2O5 · xH2O phase. The chemical component was Li0.9H1.1Ti2O5 · H2O as determined by ICP-AES. The Li-TNT-supported WO3 nanoparticle (WO3/Li-TNTs) thin film was prepared onto ITO glass via spin-coating and then fabricated with an electrochromic device. The Li ion diffusion coefficient in the WO3/Li-TNT film was 6.1 × 10(-10) cm(2) s(-1), which is eight times higher than that for the pure WO3 film. The transmittance contrast of the pure WO3-based ECD was 53.3% at 600 nm. However, this increased to 74.1% for the WO3/Li-TNT-based ECD. Meanwhile, the color-switching times of the WO3/Li-TNT-based ECD were apparently shorter than the ones for the WO3-based ECD.

Trypsin-catalyzed deltamethrin degradation.

To explore if trypsin could catalyze the degradation of non-protein molecule deltamethrin, we compared in vitro hydrolytic reactions of deltamethrin in the presence and absence of trypsin with ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) spectrophotometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In addition, acute oral toxicity of the degradation products was determined in Wistar rats. The results show that the absorption peak of deltamethrin is around 264 nm, while the absorption peaks of deltamethrin degradation products are around 250 nm and 296 nm. In our GC setting, the retention time of undegraded deltamethrin was 37.968 min, while those of deltamethrin degradation products were 15.289 min and 18.730 min. The LD50 of deltamethrin in Wistar rats is 55 mg/kg, while that of deltamethrin degradation products is 3358 mg/kg in female rats and 1045 mg/kg in male rates (61-fold and 19-fold reductions in toxicity), suggesting that trypsin could directly degrade deltamethrin, which significantly reduces the toxicity of deltamethrin. These results expand people's understanding of the functions of proteases and point to potential applications of trypsin as an attractive agent to control residual pesticides in the environment and on agricultural products.

Genome sequence of Anopheles sinensis provides insight into genetics basis of mosquito competence for malaria parasites.

BACKGROUND: Anopheles sinensis is an important mosquito vector of Plasmodium vivax, which is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria throughout Asia, and particularly in China, Korea, and Japan. RESULTS: We performed 454 next-generation sequencing and obtained a draft sequence of A. sinensis assembled into scaffolds spanning 220.8 million base pairs. Analysis of this genome sequence, we observed expansion and contraction of several immune-related gene families in anopheline relative to culicine mosquito species. These differences suggest that species-specific immune responses to Plasmodium invasion underpin the biological differences in susceptibility to Plasmodium infection that characterize these two mosquito subfamilies. CONCLUSIONS: The A. sinensis genome produced in this study, provides an important resource for analyzing the genetic basis of susceptibility and resistance of mosquitoes to Plasmodium parasites research which will ultimately facilitate the design of urgently needed interventions against this debilitating mosquito-borne disease.

[Optimization of time of artificial population schistosome infected Oncomelania hupensis snails].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the optimizational time of artificial population schistosome infected Oncomelania hupensis snails. METHODS: Under laboratory conditions, the snails were infected with the miracidia of Schistosoma japonicum for 2 h, 3 h and 4 h respectively, and the death rates and the infection rates of the snails, and the quantities of cercariae of each group were observed 60-120 d after the infection, and all the data observed were analyzed to get the optimizational time of artificial population schistosome infected snails. RESULTS: Of the 3 h group, the snail infection rate was the highest and the mortality was the lowest among the 3 groups (P<0.05). The average number of cercariae of the 3 h group was higher than that of the 2 h group (P<0.05), while there was no statistical difference between the 3 h group and the 4h group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Under laboratory conditions, the optimizational time is 3 h in artificial population schistosome infected O. hupensis snails.

[Technology of preventing oncomelania snail diffusion in east route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project II. Effect of sand buried and reed protection on snail control in area of water source].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of sand buried and reed protection on Oncomelania snail control in the area of water source of the east route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project. METHODS: The Oncomelania snail eggs were counted after the snails raised seven days in the sand of different contents in the spawning period. The survival of the snails was observed when the snails were raised on the sand surface in the laboratory. The change of the densities of living snails and reed growth were observed in the area of water source. RESULTS: The snails did not lay eggs in the pure sand environment. There was a negative correlation between the number of snail eggs and the content of sand (r = -0.965, P = 0.008). The mortality rates of the snails were increasing with the increase of the time in the sand environment. The mortality rates of the snails were 96.00% and 100% when the snails were raised 3 months and 6 months around 25 degrees C respectively. The field test showed that the snails were not discovered after the sand buried, the second spring, after the flood season, and the third spring. However, the density of living snails of the control group dropped by 93.65% 2 weeks after using molluscicide, but increased by 100% and kept in 0.37 snails/0.1 m2 after the flood season and the third year spring, respectively. The reed growth was good in the second spring after the sand buried. CONCLUSIONS: The sand environment is unfavorable for laying eggs and survival of the snails. The sand buried method has the effects of snail control and reed protection. In addition, the method could also prevent the snail spread in the flood season.