title: [Destructive effect of eggs of Schistosoma japonicum on spleens in C57BL/6 mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the destructive effect of eggs of Schistosomajaponicum on the splenic structure in C57BL/6 mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The C57BL/6 mice were injected intravenously with eggs of S. japonicum or soluble egg antigen (SEA), or the eggs were injected surgically into the spleens of the mice. Four weeks later, the mice were sacrificed, the splenic paraffin sections were stained with H & E and the splenic structures were observed. Other two groups of mice were infected with single-sex and both sexes of schistosome cercariae, respectively. Nine weeks after the infection, the mice were sacrificed, and the splenic structures were observed and compared among the groups aforementioned.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The splenic structure of mice injected intravenously with eggs were destroyed, and characterized with decreased number of lymphoid follicles and blurred marginal zone. Lymphoid follicles around the eggs injected into the spleen were also seriously depauperated. The splenic weight (0.15 +/- 0.01) g of the mice infected with single-sex cercariae significantly less than that (0.41 +/- 0.03) g of the mice infected with both sexes cercariae (P < 0.01). However, the splenic structure of the mice infected with single-sex cercariae kept integrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eggs of S. japonicum have a destructive effect on the splenic structure in C57BL/6 mice.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center for Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yu-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: He-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D014774:Virulence