Abstract

Fasciola hepatica , a food-borne trematode that parasitizes the liver and bile ducts of cattle, sheep, other ruminants, and humans, is a critical zoonotic disease responsible for substantial hepatic pathology. Kupffer cells (KCs), the resident macrophages of the liver, act as the first line of defense against liver damage. Investigating the gene transcription changes in KCs during F. hepatica infection is essential for identifying new therapeutic targets and improving disease intervention strategies. A sheep model was experimentally infected with F. hepatica to obtain adult flukes, from which excretory and secretory products (ESPs) were prepared. To evaluate their hepatotoxic potential, these ESPs were administered via tail vein injection and intraperitoneal injection in mice, followed by liver extraction and histological analysis. F. hepatica ESPs (FhESPs) were then incubated in vitro with immortalized KCs (ImKCs), and RNA was extracted for transcriptomic profiling to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene transcription changes were further validated by qRT-PCR in mouse model. Overall, 308 genes were significantly upregulated, of which colony stimulating factor 3 ( CSF3 ) showed the most pronounced change. And 222 genes were significantly downregulated. GO and KEGG analyses suggested that DEGs are putatively involved in pathways associated with liver fibrosis like JAK/STAT signaling pathway. CSF3 expression in KCs, indicating its possible involvement in IL-17 and JAK/STAT pathways via KEGG analyses. Our findings revealed the altered gene transcription profile in KCs following F. hepatica infection and highlighted CSF3 as a promising new therapeutic target for fasciolosis.