BACKGROUND:Increasing evidence suggests that a close interaction of Kupffer cells with T cells plays a central role in concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice,but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure.The pre...BACKGROUND:Increasing evidence suggests that a close interaction of Kupffer cells with T cells plays a central role in concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice,but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure.The present study aimed to determine the relative roles of Th1 and Th17 type responses in concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice, and to investigate whether or not Kupffer cells contribute to hepatic injury via a Th1 or Th17 type response-dependent pathway. METHODS:Immune-mediated hepatic injury was induced in C57BL/6 mice by intravenous injection of concanavalin A. Kupffer cells were inactivated by pretreatment with gadolinium chloride 24 hours before the concanavalin A injection.The interferon-gamma(IFN-γ)and interleukin-17(IL-17)pathways were blocked by specific neutralizing antibodies.Hepatic injury was assessed using serum transferase activity and pathological analysis.Expression of inflammatory cytokines within the liver was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS:Neutralization of IFN-γsignificantly attenuated concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury.However,neutralization of IL-17 failed to suppress the injury.Inactivation of Kupffer cells by gadolinium chloride pretreatment protected against concanavalin A-induced injury and significantly reduced hepatic cytokine levels including TNF-α,IL-6 and IFN-γbut not IL-17.CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that Kupffer cells contribute to concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury via a Th1 type response-dependent pathway and production of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α,IL-6 and IFN-γ.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(2009CB522403)the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30730085)the National Natural Science Youth Foundation of China(J20090846)
文摘BACKGROUND:Increasing evidence suggests that a close interaction of Kupffer cells with T cells plays a central role in concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice,but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure.The present study aimed to determine the relative roles of Th1 and Th17 type responses in concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice, and to investigate whether or not Kupffer cells contribute to hepatic injury via a Th1 or Th17 type response-dependent pathway. METHODS:Immune-mediated hepatic injury was induced in C57BL/6 mice by intravenous injection of concanavalin A. Kupffer cells were inactivated by pretreatment with gadolinium chloride 24 hours before the concanavalin A injection.The interferon-gamma(IFN-γ)and interleukin-17(IL-17)pathways were blocked by specific neutralizing antibodies.Hepatic injury was assessed using serum transferase activity and pathological analysis.Expression of inflammatory cytokines within the liver was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS:Neutralization of IFN-γsignificantly attenuated concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury.However,neutralization of IL-17 failed to suppress the injury.Inactivation of Kupffer cells by gadolinium chloride pretreatment protected against concanavalin A-induced injury and significantly reduced hepatic cytokine levels including TNF-α,IL-6 and IFN-γbut not IL-17.CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that Kupffer cells contribute to concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury via a Th1 type response-dependent pathway and production of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α,IL-6 and IFN-γ.