Paeoniflorin targets apoptosis and ameliorates fibrosis in murine schistosomiasis mansoni: A novel insight.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic helminthic disease causing hepatic fibrosis. Some studies demonstrated direct effect of targeting apoptosis on fibrosis regression. This study is a novel trial of Paeoniflorin (PAE) on S. mansoni induced hepatic fibrosis in murine model compared to Praziquantel (PZQ) evaluating their anti-parasitic and anti-fibrotic properties aiming to discover a new therapy that decrease schistosomiasis morbidity. Thirty two laboratory bred Swiss albino male CD-1 mice were used in this study. The mice were classified into four groups (8 mice each), control healthy, control infected, PZQ treated (300 mg/kg/12 h), PAE treated (50 mg/kg/d) groups. All mice groups were sacrificed 15 weeks post infection for assessment of drugs efficacy by parasitological, histopathological, immunohistochemical and serological studies. Our results showed that PAE improved the parasitological parameters including decrease worm burden, immature, mature eggs and increase dead ones yet, still PZQ had the upper hand in this aspect. However, PAE exceeded PZQ as an anti-fibrotic therapy seemed in marked decrease in hepatic mean granuloma diameter and fibrosis area, besides, marked increase in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha; TNF-α level, caspase-3 and P53 apoptotic expressions. There was marked decrease in serum IL-13 level, nuclear factor-kappa B; NF-kB, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta1; TGF-β1, Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin; α-SMA fibrotic expressions. Conclusively, PAE could be an anti schistosomiasis mansoni therapy exceeding PZQ in targeting apoptosis and ameliorating fibrosis. This study provides a perspective for a novel therapeutic approach to prevent liver fibrosis following liver injury due to schistosomiasis mansoni.