title: Th1/Th2 cytokine balance as a determinant of acetaminophen-induced liver injury.
abstract: Inflammation is an important pathophysiological event in drug-induced liver injury, which is subsequent to metabolic activation and covalent binding of the reactive metabolites to target proteins. Cytokines are recognized as pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators involved in the progression and regression of the toxicity. We thus hypothesized that disturbed balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines exacerbated the drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Acetaminophen-induced liver injury was investigated in two mouse strains, C57BL/6 and BALB/c, which develop predominantly Th1 and Th2 responses, respectively. More severe liver injury after intraperitoneal administration of acetaminophen was observed in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c mice. There was no strain difference in metabolism of acetaminophen into its reactive metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, which was assessed by early glutathione consumption. Liver mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6 were measured as pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, respectively. TNF-alpha was highly induced 24 h after administration of acetaminophen in C57BL/6 mice, whereas no change in BALB/c mice. On the other hand, liver IL-6 mRNA expression in BALB/c mice was higher than C57BL/6 mice 24 h after the administration. In addition, treatment of CD-1 mice, another susceptible strain, with an anti-inflammatory polyphenol, resveratrol, protected mice against the acetaminophen-induced liver injury, and the mice with attenuated toxicity revealed lower expression of TNF-alpha and higher expression of IL-6. It is therefore suggested that acetaminophen-induced liver injury is associated with Th1-dominant response in Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and TNF-alpha may play a pathological role in the toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba Institute of Science, Shiomi-cho, Choshi, Chiba, 288-0025, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masubuchi
authors.forename: Shiori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horie
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000077185:Resveratrol; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013267:Stilbenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000082:Acetaminophen; D005978:Glutathione; D000077185:Resveratrol