Light Microscopic Study On Schistosoma Mansoni Induced Hepatic And Splenic Lesions Following Praziquantel Treatment

Abstract

Hepatic and splenic lesions were developed in mice of both sexes following their exposure to cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni (70 cercariae / animal). After 12 weeks of infection, the liver showed the formation of typical egg granuloma infiltered with abundant bilharzial pigments, meanwhile, paragranuloma hepatocytes displayed abnormal alterations. However, no egg lesions were observed in the spleen of infected mice and the only detectable change was distortion of splenic parenchyma with deposited bilharzial pigments. The present investigation was extended to include the effect of praziquantel administration on the liver and spleen of non infected and schistosome infected mice. The study revealed that, the drug induced areas of focal necrosis in the liver, whereas it was found to have no marked effect on the spleen of non infected mice. In addition, the drug administration to schistosome infected mice circumvented induced lesions in both liver and spleen.