title: Expression of Septin4 in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mouse livers after praziquantel treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Septin4 (SEPT4) exists widely in human tissues and is related to mechanical stability, actin dynamics, membrane trafficking, viral replication and apoptosis. Data from many studies have suggested that SEPT4 plays a significant role in liver fibrosis. SEPT4 is down-regulated in the model of CCl4 and BDL treated liver fibrosis. However, it is up-regulated and peaked at 12 weeks post-infection (p.i.), and then decreased subsequently in Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) egg-induced liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to observe the dynamic alteration of SEPT4 after the treatment of praziquantel (PZQ) in ICR mice infected with S. japonicum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of SEPT4 was determined by western blot, immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. And pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by qRT-PCR. The number of eggs, the diameter of egg granulomas and fibrosis-associated genes were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that the granulomatous inflammation was reduced, whereafter the expression of SEPT4 on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) was decreased after PZQ anti-schistosome therapy. And the variation tendency of SEPT4 had positive correlation with the inflammatory response in the area of S. japonicum egg granulomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings, the inhibition of the expression of the SEPT4 by PZQ might be due to alleviation of the inflammatory response at the chronic and advanced stage of S. japonicum infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. dandanzhunt@126.com.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. 61318927@qq.com.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. chenchennt@ntu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jinling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. wwbft@126.com.|Laboratory Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. wwbft@126.com.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. sxl@ntu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. 672041647@qq.com.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Nantong University Xinglin College, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. xuejuan6@163.com.
authors.forename: Xijuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. bobo_0901@126.com.
authors.forename: Lingbo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. yw_qin@ntu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yongwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. yinongduan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yinong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000378:metabolism; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D058112:Septins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011223:Praziquantel; C115474:Sept4 protein, mouse; D058112:Septins