Human Platelet Rich Plasma Alleviates Liver Fibrosis in Murine Schistosomiasis Mansoni

Abstract
Background: Schistosoma (S.) mansoni infection leads to hepatic fibrosis that may cause severe complications. Currently, there is no effective medication against schisto-somiasis liver fibrosis.
Aim of the Work: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of human platelet rich plasma (PRP) against S. mansoni liver fibrosis in experimentally infected mice alone or in combination with praziquantel (PZQ).
Materials and Methods: Seventy male BALB/c mice were divided into five mice groups; group I: Uninfected control (UC, n=10); group II: Infected, untreated (IU, n=15); group III: infected, treated 8 weeks post-infection (p.i.) with PZQ (PZQ, n=15); group IV: Infected, received 8 weeks p.i. PRP (PRP, n=15) and group V: Infected, treated 8 weeks p.i. with PZQ then received PRP (PZQ+PRP, n=15). All the mice were euthanized at 12 weeks p.i then parasitological, histopatholog-ical, immunohistochemical studies were done in addition to measuring of serum liver enzymes.
Results: PZQ+PRP significantly reduced (p<0.001) the mean liver granuloma diameter by 71%, followed by PRP (51.2%) and then PZQ (33.8%). Also, PZQ+PRP achieved the highest reduction in the liver fibrosis (73.3%), whereas PRP achieved 63.8% reduction in the fibrosis and this was better than that revealed by PZQ (50.8%). On immunohisto-chemical examination of the liver sections, PZQ+PRP caused the least expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), while it induced the strongest caspase-3 expression, among the treated mice groups, in comparison to IU mice. PRP alone or in combination with PZQ significantly decreased serum liver enzymes comparing to IU mice.
Conclusion: PZQ+PRP significantly reduced S. mansoni induced liver fibrosis in association with improving the liver enzymes. So, it is recommended to treat S. mansoni liver fibrosis by both PZQ and PRP, and this could be applicable in case of human liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis mansoni.