Gene therapy of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis mice by in vivo administration of plasmid DNA coding for human interleukin-10.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis mice.


METHODS
Mice were immunized to induce autoimmune thyroiditis with porcine thyroglobulin (pTg), and thyroids of mice were injected with IL-10 DNA. On d 28 after immunization with pTg, mRNA expression of IL-10 in thyroid glands was detected and thyroid specimens were histopathological studied.


RESULTS
The mRNA expression of IL-10 was detected in thyroid glands on d 7 and 14 after injection of IL-10 plasmid DNA or on COS-7 cells 48 h after IL-10 plasmid DNA transfection. In addition, hIL-10 levels in culture media significantly increased 48 h and 72 h after IL-10 plasmid DNA transfection. Infiltration index of lymphocytes (1.1+/-0.4) in thyroids of IL-10-treated mice was significantly lower than that of pcDNA3-null-treated mice (2.2+/-0.5) (P<0.01). Compared with pcDNA3-null control mice, IL-10-treated mice had lower levels of serum IFN-gamma (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The direct injection of DNA expression vectors encoding IL-10 into thyroid significantly inhibited development of lymphocytic infiltration of thyroid of autoimmune thyroiditis mice, and alleviated the progression of this disease.
Zhang
Zhen-Lin
ZL
Department of Osteoporosis, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China.
Lin
Bo
B
Yu
Lu-Yang
LY
Shen
Shui-Xian
SX
Zhu
Li-Hua
LH
Wang
Wei-Ping
WP
Guo
Li-He
LH
D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010957:Plasmids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D014162:Transfection
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013954:Thyroglobulin