Introduction: Schistosomiasis causes alterations of the intestinal mucosa and a low cellular immune response in its chronic phase. Gender may influence the inflammatory response against Schistosoma mansoni. We investigate the association between schistosomiasis and secondary infections by bacterial translocation.
Methods: Swiss Webster mice (Mus musculus) with 35 days were divided into two groups: control (10 male and 10 female) and schistosomiasis (10 male and 10 female infected with 50 cercariae percutaneously). Stools were examined by the Kato-Katz with 45 and 97 days of infection. Liver perfusion was performed for quantification of worms. The animals were weighed after 35, 80, 125 and 132 days old when they were euthanized for study of translocation, microbiota and duodenal mucosa. For microbiota, stools were collected from the middle of the small intestine. Segments of this region were sectioned for morphometric diagnosis.
Results: Females had higher schistosomotic number of adult worms and eggs in stools (P = 0. 0001). Both sexes had a higher number of eggs on the 45th day (P = 0.005), decreased weight gain with 80, 125 and 132 days old (P = 0.0001) and increased spleen weight (P = 0.0001). The animals with schistosomiasis had more bacterial species and colony-forming units. Morphometric analysis revealed a reduction in height and area of villus and of perimeter of the mucosal surface of both groups with chronic disease (P = 0.0001). Increased bacterial translocation occurred in schistosomiasis when compared to controls, being more prevalent in females.
Conclusions: Chronic schistosomiasis modify weight gain and weight of spleen, duodenal mucosa and microbiota in mice and favors translocation, migration and sepsis, especially in females, probably due to the intensity of parasitism.