Investigation into Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Excretory/Secretory Products from Gull-Tapeworm Dibothriocephalus dendriticus and Ligula Ligula interrupta Plerocercoids

In this work, the anti-inflammatory potential of secretory-excretory products (SEP) of gull-tapeworm Dibothriocephalus dendriticus and Ligula Ligula interrupta plerocercoids was studied for the first time in an in vitro model of LPS-induced activation of macrophages. A monocyte cell line derived from a patient with acute monocytic leukemia, THP-1, was used as a macrophage model. The anti-inflammatory properties of SEP were determined by the content of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 cytokines in the incubation medium using commercial kits for enzyme immunoassay. The results of our study indicated that SEP from L. interrupta plerocercoids have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, while SEP from D. dendriticus plerocercoids did not have such an effect. The authors next investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of L. interrupta SEP in a carrageenan-induced air-sac inflammation model in mice. A significant decrease in the volume of inflammatory exudate under the influence of L. interrupta SEP was found as well as an increase in the level of the interleukin-6 cytokine. At the same time, SEP of L. interrupta had no effect on the number of cells per 1 mL of exudate or the level of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF. The low molecular weight fraction of L. interrupta SEP also increased the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10, which indicates a more pronounced anti-inflammatory effect compared to the high molecular weight fraction. The results obtained, in general, indicate the anti-inflammatory properties of the SEP of L. interrupta plerocercoids. However, the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action has not been elucidated and requires further research.