Therapeutic effect of soluble worm protein acting as immune regulatory on colitis

Objective: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of the protein derived from the soluble factor of Heligmosomoides polygyrus (H. polygyrus) excretory-secretory in a colitis model. Methods: Colitis was induced by providing drinking water containing 3% dextran so-dium sulfate (DSS) for a week. DSS was administrated in a cycle protocol, each cycle consisted of 7 days of 3%DSS in the drinking water and followed by 7 days of regular water. This study consisted of five treatment groups, including Groups A (control) received untreated water, B (DSS only, without excretory-secretory), and C–E injected (i.p.) with excretory-secretory protein (H. polygyrus excretory-secretory total, excretory-secretory 28 kDa and excretory-secretory 55 kDa, respectively). Mice received injection every week. The injection of excretory-secretory was started from the 6th weeks and continued until 11 weeks. At the end of 11 weeks of the experiment, mice were sacrificed, colon tissue was removed and then subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, real-time PCR and histology examination. Results: Mice received H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa reduced mono-nuclear cell infiltrations. H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa induced the down-regulation of mRNA interferon-g expression. There were significant differences in the expression of mRNA interferon in the colon of mice after the administration of the excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein fraction compared with other groups (P Conclusions: Excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein could reduce inflammation and have potential therapy. H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa was the soluble factor that may help in the development of novel treatments to cure colitis.

Therapeutic effect of soluble worm protein acting as immune regulatory on colitis

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of the protein derived from the soluble factor of Heligmosomoides polygyrus (H. polygyrus) excretory-secretory in a colitis model. Methods Colitis was induced by providing drinking water containing 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for a week. DSS was administrated in a cycle protocol, each cycle consisted of 7 days of 3% DSS in the drinking water and followed by 7 days of regular water. This study consisted of five treatment groups, including Groups A (control) received untreated water, B (DSS only, without excretory-secretory), and C–E injected (i.p.) with excretory-secretory protein (H. polygyrus excretory-secretory total, excretory-secretory 28 kDa and excretory-secretory 55 kDa, respectively). Mice received injection every week. The injection of excretory-secretory was started from the 6th weeks and continued until 11 weeks. At the end of 11 weeks of the experiment, mice were sacrificed, colon tissue was removed and then subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, real-time PCR and histology examination. Results Mice received H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa reduced mono-nuclear cell infiltrations. H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa induced the down-regulation of mRNA interferon-γ expression. There were significant differences in the expression of mRNA interferon in the colon of mice after the administration of the excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein fraction compared with other groups (P < 0.001), whereas mRNA transforming growth factor-β expression up regulated in the colon of mice after the administration of the excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein fraction compared with total excretory-secretory group (P < 0.05). The treatment of colitis in mice with excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein fractions modulated interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression, whereas excretory-secretory total and excretory-secretory 28 kDa protein fractions insufficient promoted IL-10 expression. Excretory-secretory 55 kDa proteins fraction promoted IL-10 expression via Foxp3-independent pathways. Conclusions Excretory-secretory 55 kDa protein could reduce inflammation and have potential therapy. H. polygyrus excretory-secretory 55 kDa was the soluble factor that may help in the development of novel treatments to cure colitis.

Intestinal Nematodes from Small Mammals Captured near the Demilitarized Zone, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea

A total of 1,708 small mammals (1,617 rodents and 91 soricomorphs), including Apodemus agrarius (n = 1,400), Microtus fortis (167), Crocidura lasiura (91), Mus musculus (32), Myodes (= Eothenomys) regulus (9), Micromys minutus (6), and Tscherskia (= Cricetulus) triton (3), were live-trapped at US/Republic of Korea (ROK) military training sites near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Paju, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province from December 2004 to December 2009. Small mammals were examined for their intestinal nematodes by necropsy. A total of 1,617 rodents (100%) and 91 (100%) soricomorphs were infected with at least 1 nematode species, including Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia obvelata, Heterakis spumosa, Protospirura muris, Capillaria spp., Trichuris muris, Rictularia affinis, and an unidentified species. N. brasiliensis was the most common species infecting small mammals (1,060; 62.1%) followed by H. polygyrus (617; 36.1%), S. obvelata (370; 21.7%), H. spumosa (314; 18.4%), P. muris (123; 7.2%), and Capillaria spp. (59; 3.5%). Low infection rates (0.1-0.8%) were observed for T. muris, R. affinis, and an unidentified species. The number of recovered worms was highest for N. brasiliensis (21,623 worms; mean 20.4 worms/infected specimen) followed by S. obvelata (9,235; 25.0 worms), H. polygyrus (4,122; 6.7 worms), and H. spumosa (1,160; 3.7 worms). A. agrarius demonstrated the highest prevalence for N. brasiliensis (70.9%), followed by M. minutus (50.0%), T. triton (33.3%), M. fortis (28.1%), M. musculus (15.6%), C. lasiura (13.2%), and M. regulus (0%). This is the first report of nematode infections in small mammals captured near the DMZ in ROK.

Intestinal Nematodes from Small Mammals Captured near the Demilitarized Zone, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea

A total of 1,708 small mammals (1,617 rodents and 91 soricomorphs), including Apodemus agrarius (n = 1,400), Microtus fortis (167), Crocidura lasiura (91), Mus musculus (32), Myodes (= Eothenomys) regulus (9), Micromys minutus (6), and Tscherskia (= Cricetulus) triton (3), were live-trapped at US/Republic of Korea (ROK) military training sites near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Paju, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province from December 2004 to December 2009. Small mammals were examined for their intestinal nematodes by necropsy. A total of 1,617 rodents (100%) and 91 (100%) soricomorphs were infected with at least 1 nematode species, including Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia obvelata, Heterakis spumosa, Protospirura muris, Capillaria spp., Trichuris muris, Rictularia affinis, and an unidentified species. N. brasiliensis was the most common species infecting small mammals (1,060; 62.1%) followed by H. polygyrus (617; 36.1%), S. obvelata (370; 21.7%), H. spumosa (314; 18.4%), P. muris (123; 7.2%), and Capillaria spp. (59; 3.5%). Low infection rates (0.1-0.8%) were observed for T. muris, R. affinis, and an unidentified species. The number of recovered worms was highest for N. brasiliensis (21,623 worms; mean 20.4 worms/infected specimen) followed by S. obvelata (9,235; 25.0 worms), H. polygyrus (4,122; 6.7 worms), and H. spumosa (1,160; 3.7 worms). A. agrarius demonstrated the highest prevalence for N. brasiliensis (70.9%), followed by M. minutus (50.0%), T. triton (33.3%), M. fortis (28.1%), M. musculus (15.6%), C. lasiura (13.2%), and M. regulus (0%). This is the first report of nematode infections in small mammals captured near the DMZ in ROK.