Chronic hepatocyte injury or DAMP administration facilitates S. mansoni development in RAG−/− mice.
Groups of RAG−/− mice were infected with S. mansoni and treated throughout pre-patent infection with the indicated hepatotoxins or inflammatory stimuli, as described in Materials and Methods. Parasites were perfused from the portal tract and livers removed for egg enumeration at 6 weeks p.i. (A) Length of male worms recovered from RAG−/− mice chronically treated with D-(+)-galactosamine hydrochloride (GalN). (B) Length of male worms recovered from RAG−/− mice chronically treated with acetaminophen (AAP). (C and E) Length of male worms and (D and F) liver egg burdens from RAG−/− mice chronically treated with monosodium urate (MSU; C and D) or alum (E and F). Horizontal bars represent mean values for each experimental group. Groups of 4 to 5 mice were used for each experimental condition. P values for worm lengths determined using student's T-test with Welch's correction. P values for egg production determined using the Mann Whitney test. Data shown for the MSU experiment are pooled from two independent experiments. Dashed lines in A, B, C, and E indicate the average length of male S. mansoni worms recovered from wild type mice at day 42 post infection (3.9 mm).