Carbonyl stress phenomena during chronic infection with Opisthorchis felineus

Infection with the fish borne liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus is common in the Eastern Europe (Ukraine, European part of Russia), Northern Asia (Siberia) and Central Asia (Northern Kazakhstan). Better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the biliary tract and liver during chronic opisthorchiasis can be expected to improve protection against and management of complications of this disease. We hypothesize that infection with O. felineus associates with formation of methylglyoxal and carbonyl stress in the liver and hence here we investigated the glyoxalase system and the receptor for advanced glycated end products (RAGE) in the liver of hamsters infected with this liver fluke. Expression of mRNA encoding glyoxalase 1 decreased at 8weeks of the infection and catalytic activity as well decreased at 8 and 12weeks after infection, and the expression of the glyoxalase 2 decreased until 36week post-infection, which associated with the decreasing activity of the enzyme at 8 and 12weeks post-infection. Glutathione levels in infected livers had decreased at week 8, whereas up-regulation of RAGE at mRNA levels was seen for the extended duration of the experimental infection of the hamsters. This outcome supported the notion of hepatic dicarbonyl stress during chronic opisthorchiasis. The inhibition of the glyoxalase system and accumulation of methylglyoxal at the early stages of the infection may underpin development of insulin resistance during opisthorchiasis.