[Effect of IFN-lambda2 on apoptotic protein in the myocardium in mice with viral myocarditis].
OBJECTIVE
INF-lambda has anti-viral and anti-tumor activities. Its application in viral myocarditis (VMC) has not been reported. This study investigated the role of INF-lambda in acute VMC in mice.


METHODS
Forty mice were randomly divided into three groups: VMC (n=15), IFN-lambda2-treated VMC (n=15) and control (n=10). VMC was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3).The control group was intraperitoneally injected with 2% PBS. The IFN-lambda2-treated VMC group was administered with 400 ng IFN-lambda2 (0.1 mL) by subcutaneous injections daily, for 5 days. The control and the VMC groups were given equal amount of nomal saline.The surviving mice were sacrificed 9 days after IFN-lambda2 treatment. The pathological changes of heart tissues were examined under a light microscope. Bcl-2 and Bax expression in heart tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The control group presented normal heart tissues. The INF-lambda2-treated VMC group showed significantly a lower pathological score (1.5+/-0.5) than the untreated VMC group (2.8+/-0.8) (P<0.01). Bcl-2 expression decreased (P<0.01), in contrast, Bax expression increased (P<0.01) in the untreated VMC group compared with that in the control group. INF-lambda2 treatment resulted in an increased Bcl-2 expression (P<0.01) and a decreased Bax expression (P<0.01) compared to the untreated VMC group.


CONCLUSIONS
INF-lambda2 may alleviate myocardial injuries and inhibit cardiomyocytic apoptosis, thus providing protective effects on myocardial cells in mice with acute VMC.
Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
Yu-Jun
YJ
Nie
Xing-Yuan
XY
Huang
Shi-Hong
SH
Wang
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D007378:Interleukins; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
D016207:Cytokines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; C511668:interferon-lambda protein, mouse; D007378:Interleukins; D000095022:Interferon Lambda