Electroporative interleukin-10 gene transfer ameliorates carbon tetrachloride-induced murine liver fibrosis by MMP and TIMP modulation.
OBJECTIVE
Liver fibrosis represents a process of healing and scarring in response to chronic liver injury. Effective therapies for liver fibrosis are lacking. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that downregulates pro-inflammatory responses and has a modulatory effect on hepatic fibrogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether electroporative IL-10 gene therapy has a hepatic fibrolytic effect on mice.


METHODS
Hepatic fibrosis was induced by administering carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 10 weeks in mice. The human IL-10 expression plasmid was delivered via electroporation after hepatic fibrosis was established. Histopathology, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoblotting, and gelatin zymography were used to investigate the possible mechanisms of action of IL-10.


RESULTS
Human IL-10 gene therapy reversed CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. RT-PCR revealed that IL-10 gene therapy attenuated liver TGF-beta1, collagen alpha1, fibronectin, and cell adhesion molecule mRNA upregulation. Following gene transfer, both the activation of alpha-smooth muscle actin and cyclooxygenase-2 were significantly attenuated. Furthermore, IL-10 significantly inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP) activation after CCl4 intoxication.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that IL-10 gene therapy attenuated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. IL-10 prevented upregulated fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory gene responses. Its collagenolytic effect may be attributed to MMP and TIMP modulation. IL-10 gene therapy may be an effective therapeutic modality against liver fibrosis with potential clinical use.
Departments of Anesthesiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, China.
Wen-Ying
WY
Chou
Cheng-Nan
CN
Lu
Tsung-Hsing
TH
Lee
Chia-Ling
CL
Wu
Kung-Sheng
KS
Hung
Allan M
AM
Concejero
Bruno
B
Jawan
Cheng-Haung
CH
Wang
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018274:Electroporation; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D000199:Actins; D024042:Collagen Type I; D005353:Fibronectins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D016753:Interleukin-10; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2