title: Protective effects of IL-4 on Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and lipopolysaccharide induced immunological liver injury in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mice injected with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammatory liver injury. This study was performed to explore the protective effects of interleukin (IL)-4 against liver injury induced by BCG and LPS in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice injected with BCG (125 mg/kg) were challenged with LPS (10 μg/kg) to induce the model of inflammatory liver injury. Half an hour after injection of LPS, mice were subcutaneously administered rmIL-4 at 5 and 0.5 μg/kg, respectively. Liver injury was evaluated by serum transaminase assay and H & E staining. Liver cytokine concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and intrahepatic cytokine and iNOS mRNA levels by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Intrahepatic apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling. NF-κB p65 and ERK signal pathway was detected by Western-blotting. NF-κB signal pathway was also detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-4 reduced the serum ALT, AST and LDH, alleviated the inflammatory cells infiltration, down regulated the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-6 and iNOS mRNA in liver, and alleviated hepatic glutathione depletion (GSH). In addition, IL-4 displayed inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and NF-κB activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-4 may protect mice against BCG/LPS-induced immune liver injury, besides ERK and NF-κB signal pathways were involved in the effects.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Nan N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nong Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xi K
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Chang Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yin B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xian C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Yong Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Ai P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Yu Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase