[Establishment of a mouse model of primary biliary cirrhosis by AMA M2 autoantigen injection].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) model by AMAM2 autoantigen injection into C57BL/6 mice.


METHODS
Mice of the model group were immunized intraperitonealy with 200 microl of purified recombinant AMAM2 autoantigen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Mice immunized with bovine serum albumin and CFA in the same way were used as negative controls. Sixty-six weeks later, mice were sacrificed and their sera were collected. Sera samples were assayed for AMAM2 autoantibody, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ALT and total bilirubin (TBil). Their liver, stomach, muscle and kidney tissues were sectioned and stained using HE to observe the pathological changes.


RESULTS
Antibodies to AMAM2 autoantigen were readily induced in the model group. The mice in the model group had no significant changes in the level of serum ALT and TBil but had an obvious increase of ALP (P<0.05). The stomach, muscle and kidney tissues showed no evident damage while the livers had obvious pathological changes, including bile duct degeneration or proliferation, and mononuclear cell infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
The AMAM2 autoantigen-induced PBC animal model was successfully established in C57BL/6 mice in our experiment and its characteristic biochemical and pathology are quite similar to that in the early stage of human PBC. This model may provide a useful experimental approach for further study of the pathogenesis and clinical treatment of human PBC.
Jiang
Xiao-hua
XH
Clinical Laboratory, 85th Hospital of PLA, Shanghai 200052, China. jhlulu999@hotmail.com
Zhong
Ren-qian
RQ
Fang
Xiao-yun
XY
An
Feng
F
Hu
Yin
Y
Wang
Xiu-ping
XP
Kong
Xian-tao
XT
D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000209:etiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000276:immunology
D001324:Autoantigens