title: rhIL-1Ra reduces hepatocellular apoptosis in mice with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure.
abstract: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening disease that has proven difficult to cure. In Western countries, acetaminophen (APAP) poisoning is the most common cause of ALF. However, the mode of cell death in APAP-induced ALF cases is controversial. Previous studies have shown that administration of anti-interleukin-1 (anti-IL-1) antibody attenuated APAP-induced liver injury, and that administration of anti-IL-1 receptor antagonist (anti-IL-1Ra) antibody exacerbated organ injury. These results prompted us to investigate the roles of IL-1Ra in APAP-induced ALF mice. Our results show that administration of recombinant human IL-1Ra (rhIL-1Ra) could significantly improve the survival rate of mice with ALF induced by APAP. Furthermore, we found that rhIL-1Ras could dramatically inhibit the activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in serum, reduce the death of hepatocytes and accelerate the proliferation of hepatocytes. In addition, we show that hepatocellular apoptosis rather than necrosis was the major cause of ALF-induced animal death, and that the anti-apoptosis role of rhIL-1Ra was mediated by reducing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, and the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 in the liver tissue. In conclusion, these data indicate that rhIL-1Ra is a promising candidate for the treatment of APAP-induced ALF in mice through the reduction of hepatocellular apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Shanghai No. 6 People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Dejun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Chuanying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yunsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Runzhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Shunyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009336:Necrosis / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C076615:cytochrome c''; D000082:Acetaminophen; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9