Selective neutralization of the chemokine TCA3 reduces the increased injury of partial versus whole liver transplants induced by cold preservation.
BACKGROUND
Given the shortage of liver donors and the development of techniques for partial liver transplantation, we compared chemokine expression and inflammatory cell infiltration of partial versus whole grafts in a mouse syngeneic liver transplant model.


METHODS
Orthotopic liver transplantation, using whole or partial murine liver grafts, was performed following cold preservation in ViaSpan solution for periods of one to eight hours.


RESULTS
Partial grafts showed more severe cold ischemia/reperfusion injury and greater inflammatory cell infiltration than whole grafts, and was accompanied by the marked intrahepatic upregulation of multiple chemokines. Quantitative analysis showed that compared with expression in whole grafts harvested after the same period of cold ischemia, partial grafts had eightfold more T-cell activation gene (TCA)-3 (CCL1) chemokine messenger RNA (mRNA) expression (P<0.01) and sixfold more inducible protein (IP)-10 chemokine (CCL10) mRNA expression (P<0.01), as well as increased expression of the chemokine receptors CCR8 (receptor for TCA3) and CXCR3 (receptor for IP-10; P<0.01). Blockade of TCA3 by neutralizing monoclonal antibody significantly decreased intragraft IP-10 expression (P<0.05) but not tumor necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin-6 expression in partial grafts, and significantly decreased cold ischemia/reperfusion injury (P<0.05) and associated neutrophil and T-cell infiltration (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that the chemokine TCA3/CCL1 is important to the pathogenesis of ischemic injury of experimental partial liver grafts, and that its therapeutic targeting within such grafts can overcome the deleterious effects of prolonged cold preservation and restore liver function to the level achieved using whole liver grafts.
Xie
Jin-Fu
JF
Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Wang
Guodong
G
Debonera
Fotini
F
Han
Rongxiang
R
Dorf
Martin E
ME
Hancock
Wayne
W
Olthoff
Kim M
KM
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D054402:Chemokine CCL1; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050377:Cold Ischemia; D015925:Cryopreservation; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D009926:Organ Preservation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D054401:Receptors, CCR8; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C502258:Ccl1 protein, mouse; C489319:Ccr8 protein, mouse; D054402:Chemokine CCL1; D019742:Chemokines, CC; C515188:Cxcr3 protein, mouse; C104577:IP10-Mig receptor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054401:Receptors, CCR8; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine