Nonlinear Imaging Allows to Characterize Granulomas and Fibrosis in Mice Tissue From Experimental Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma that poses serious public health problems. The liver is one of the organs seriously affected by the disease as it lodges Schistosoma eggs. We show results by nonlinear imaging techniques, Second Harmonic Generation and Two-Photon Excitation Fluorescence, to characterize mice tissues infected with Schistosoma mansoni in an experimental model. We followed the evolution of the disease in liver tissue sections through three stages: 30, 60, and 120 days post-infection-the pre-patent, acute, and early chronic phases, respectively. The presence of the Schistosoma eggs causes an increase in the collagen content and also changes in its architecture. The results allow us to clearly evaluate the disease progress helping to improve the understanding of liver fibrosis. Second Harmonic Generation and Two-Photon Excitation Fluorescence microscopy allows to characterize mice tissues infected with Schistosoma mansoni in an experimental model.