Schistosoma japonicum is a parasitic flatworm that causes human schistosomiasis. Secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in pathogen-host interfaces. Previous studies have shown that S. japonicum adult worms can release microRNA (miRNA)-containing EVs, which can transfer their cargo to mammalian cells and regulate gene expression in recipient cells. Tissue-trapped eggs are generally considered the major contributor to the severe pathology of schistosomiasis; however, the interactions between the host and parasite in this critical stage remain largely unknown. The culture medium for S. japonicum eggs in vitro was used to isolate EVs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was used to confirm that vesicles produced by the eggs were EVs based on size and morphology. Total RNA extracted from EVs was analyzed by Solexa technology to determine the miRNA profile. The in vitro internalization of the EVs by mammalian cells was analyzed by confocal microscopy. The presence of EVs associated miRNAs in the primary hepatocytes of infected mice was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). EVs were isolated from the culture medium of in vitro cultivated S. japonicum eggs. TEM analysis confirmed that nanosized vesicles were present in the culture medium. RNA-seq analysis showed that the egg-derived EVs contained small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) populations including miRNAs, suggesting a potential role in host manipulation. This study further showed that Hepa1-6, a murine liver cell line, internalized the purified EVs and their cargo miRNAs that were detectable in the primary hepatocytes of mice infected with S. japonicum. Schistosoma japonicum eggs can release miRNA-containing EVs, and the EVs can transfer their cargo to recipient cells in vitro. These results demonstrate the regulatory potential of S. japonicum egg EVs at the parasite-host interface.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease caused by the parasite of the Schistosoma genus and is characterized by egg-induced hepatic granulomas and fibrosis. Macrophages play a central role in schistosomiasis with several studies highlighting their differentiation into M2 cells involved in the survival of infected mice through limitation of immunopathology. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms of regulating macrophage differentiation. Here, we showed that the early stage of infection by Schistosoma japonicum induced expression of type 1T-helper-cell (Th1) cytokine, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), leading to increase in M1 cells. However, the presence of liver-trapped eggs induced the expression of Th2 cytokines including interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, and IL-13 that upregulated the transcription of miR-146b by activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/6 (STAT3/6) that bind to the promoter of the pre-miR-146b gene. We found that the miR-146a/b was significantly upregulated in macrophages during the progression of hepatic schistosomiasis. The elevated miR-146a/b inhibited the IFN-γ-induced differentiation of macrophages to M1 cells through targeting STAT1. Our data indicate the protective roles of miR-146a/b in hepatic schistosomiasis through regulating the differentiation of macrophages into M2 cells.

Background: Numerous studies have shown that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with the pathogenesis and progression of various human diseases. Hence, serum miRNAs are considered to be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of human diseases. This study examined whether several miRNAs known to be commonly deregulated in liver diseases are deregulated in the serum of hosts with hepatic schistosomiasis, and thus whether they could serve as potential markers for detection of schistosome infection and evaluation of the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Methods: We analyzed the serum levels of six selected candidate miRNA molecules (miR-146b, miR-122, miR-223, miR-199a-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-34a) from mice, rabbits, buffalos and humans infected with Schistosoma japonicum using qPCR. We evaluated liver pathology by determining the hydroxyproline content in liver tissues. Primary resident liver cells were isolated to quantify the expression level of deregulated miRNAs. Bioinformatics analyses were also conducted to assess the potential function of miR-223. Results: Using a mouse model of Schistosoma japonicum infection, we found that the expression level of serum miR-223 was significantly elevated after infection, but returned to near normal levels after the treatment with praziquantel (PZQ). Importantly, the level of serum miR-223 reflected the extent of liver pathology post-infection. We validated the elevated level of the circulating miR-223 in serum samples of other host species including rabbits, buffalos and humans. In addition, our results showed that miR-223 was primarily located in the Kupffer cells, but its expression levels were significantly up-regulated in hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells after infection. Bioinformatics analyses revealed a potential functional role of miR-223 in transcription regulator activity, transcription factor activity and DNA binding. Conclusions: This study suggested that the circulating miR-223 could serve as a potential new biomarker for the detection of schistosome infection and the assessment of the response to chemotherapy.

Significance: Hepatic fibrosis is the final common pathological outcome of many chronic liver diseases and occurs when hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are activated to become fibrogenic myofibroblasts. To date, there are still no approved antifibrotic therapies. Accumulating evidence suggests that targeting the deregulated miRNAs could mitigate disease outcomes. In this study, using a well-studied model of human schistosomiasis, we show that elevated miR-351 promotes the activation of HSCs after infection by targeting the vitamin D receptor, and inhibition of miR-351 in the liver mediated by rAAV8 protects the host from lethal infection by alleviating hepatic fibrosis. This study provides insights into the mechanisms that result in schistosomiasis-related hepatic fibrosis and targets of intervention for schistosomiasis and other fibrotic diseases.

Chemerin restricts cold-induced IL-33 production by beige adipocytes, impairing beige fat’s ability to dissipate excess energy stores.