Fig. 2: concurrent schistosomiasis and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis reduce egg-induced intestinal fibrosis. (A) Representative Masson trichrome-stained histological image of the colon. Blue colour represents stained collagen. Yellow arrows point to schistosome eggs. The scale bar represents 100 μm. (B) Quantification of all trichrome-stained areas in each group of mice. (C-D) Colonic mRNA expression level of COLA-1 (D) and COLA-3 (E). The expression was normalised to the housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). (F) Number of eggs counted in the stool and their corresponding area under curve (AUC). (G) Number of eggs counted per gram intestine. n = 6 mice in control group, n = 8 mice in Schistosoma mansoni-infected (SM) and S. mansoni-infected and DSS-treated (SMDSS) group, and n = 7 mice in DSS group. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). ^*p < 0.05; ^**p < 0.01; ^***p < 0.001; and ^****p < 0.0001. (B, D, and E) Significance determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). (F and G) Significance determined by t-test.