Cm. Takiya et al., MORPHOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRICAL ANALYSIS OF SCHISTOSOMAL GRANULOMA DEGRADATION, Experimental and toxicologic pathology, 45(2-3), 1993, pp. 121-128
In vivo degradation of the extracellular matrix of Schistosoma mansoni
granulomas was morphologically studied by light and electron microsco
py using 60 day-infected hepatic isolated and acellular granulomas (aP
MC) which had been implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of syngenic
albino mice and examined 4, 15, 20, 30 and 40 days after implantation.
The progressive changes of aPMCs were estimated by measurements of aP
MCs surface (mum2) on paraffin sections. After implantation, polymorph
onuclear leukocytes were the initial population recruited whereas macr
ophages and fibroblasts were prominent in the late stages. Eosinophil
leukocytes and in a lesser extent, mast cells increased in number. In
electron microscopy, progressive disappearance of extracellular matrix
and some modified collagen fibrils either in extracellular or intrace
llular localization represented matricial changes. The morphometrical
analysis of aPMCs of the surface (mum2) after implantation showed a si
gnificant reduction of aPMCs (p < 0.001) in all stages after implantat
ion. Polymorphonuclear cells, macrophages and fibroblasts seemed to be
the major responsible cells involved in aPMCs resorption.