Dynamic Remodeling of the Pulmonary Microenvironment in Paragonimus proliferus Infection
Paragonimiasis, a food-borne zoonosis caused by Paragonimus spp., induces severe pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. However, the stage-specific interactions among the host, parasite and lung microbiome remain poorly understood. Here, we systematically investigated the dynamic pathogenesis of Paragonimus proliferus (P. proliferus) infection in a rat model across key infection stages (14, 28 and 42 days post-infection dpi) and following triclabendazole (TCBZ) treatment. We employed integrated histopathological, molecular, and microbiome profiling approaches, including multi-region (5R) 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Infection induced progressive pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis that peaked at 42 dpi, these changes were significantly alleviated following TCBZ treatment.