Splenic B cells from Hymenolepis diminuta-infected mice ameliorate colitis independent of T cells and via cooperation with macrophages. Mus musculus

Mouse infection with the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta leads to a less severe DNBS-colitis. Increased Th2 and regulatory cytokine production in the spleen is a hallmark of Hymenolepis diminuta infection, therefore we hypothesized that given this microenvironment, splenic adaptive cells acquire an anti-inflammatory phenotype. We tested the ability of putative splenic regulatory B cells generated by Hymenolepis diminuta infection to down-regulate intestinal inflammation. We found that unlike splenic B cells from uninfected mice, splenic B cells from Hymenolepis diminuta -infected animals ameliorated chemically-induced colitis. Overall design: Splenic B cells were magnetically isolated and also purified by cell sorting from 7 days-infected animals and B cells from uninfected animals were used as control.