Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Treg-Specific USP21 Knockout Mice

Figure 1

Deletion of USP21 in Tregs reduces the resistance to S. japonicum in infected mice. (a–e) FOXP3^Cre (WT) and USP21^fl/flFOXP3^Cre (KO) mice (/group) were infected with cercariae through the abdomen and were sacrificed 6 weeks after infection. The liver and spleen tissues were collected, and the adults were recovered. (a) Comparison of the number of females, males, pairs, and adults recovered from the WT- and KO-infected (INF) groups (), for the total number of adults and for the total number of worm pairs. (b) Representative images of the livers of the WT and KO mice from the NC and INF groups. (c) Liver weight of the WT and KO mice in the NC and INF groups (); was considered a difference that was not statistically significant between the normal control group and the infected group. (d) Representative images of the spleens of the WT and KO mice in the NC and INF groups. (e) Spleen weight of the WT and KO mice in the NC and INF groups (); compared with the normal control group; represented a difference that was not statistically significant compared with the infected group.

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