Remodeling of liver tissue and the inflammatory profile in a dyslipidemic mice model infected with acute schistosomiasis.

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease that affects millions of people in endemic areas and it is heavily influenced by changes in the host's metabolic profile. This study investigated liver tissue remodeling in acute experimental schistosomiasis and diet-induced dyslipidemia in female Swiss Webster mice. The mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a standard diet (SD) for 29 weeks. At week 20, the animals were subcutaneously infected with 100 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni (BH strain). After 9 weeks of infection, the mice were euthanized, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Additionally, peritoneal lavage was performed to evaluate cytokine profiles. Liver was collected, processed, and stained using Hematoxylin and Eosin, Gomori's Reticulin, and Picrosirius Red for histopathological, stereological, morphometric, and collagen granuloma analyses. Biochemical tests confirmed dyslipidemia in the HFD-fed mice. Peritoneal cells exhibited a proinflammatory immune response, and liver displayed a highly inflamed architectural morphology. Morphometric analysis of centrilobular and hepatic veins revealed that both HFD and schistosomiasis altered vessel morphology. The findings suggest that diet-induced dyslipidemia interferes with certain aspects of acute experimental schistosomiasis, contributing to immune cytokine profile remodeling by macrophages, liver disorganization, and modulation of the morphometric parameters of centrilobular and hepatic veins.