title: [The protective effect of augmenter of liver regeneration on mice with acute liver injury by up-regulating the expression levels of regulatory T cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the protective effect and mechanism of augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) on mice with acute liver injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal control group, acute liver injury group and ALR intervention group. Acute liver injury group was given intraperitoneal injection of the mixture (2 mL/kg body mass once) of CCl4 (500 mL/L) and mineral oil. ALR intervention group was given ALR plasmid by tail intravenous injection 8 hours before CCl4 injection. The control group was injected the same amount of normal saline. The pathological changes of liver tissue were detected by HE staining. The serum was collected for detecting alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). The frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in liver tissue was analyzed by flow cytometry. The mRNA levels of Foxp3, ALR, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression level of ALR mRNA in ALR intervention group was significantly higher than that in acute liver injury group and in normal control group; no statistically significant difference was found between the latter two groups. The frequency of Tregs in liver tissue had significant differences among these groups; CD25⁺Foxp3⁺Treg/CD4⁺T level was higher in ALR intervention group [(5.90 ± 0.10)%] than in acute liver injury group [(4.23 ± 0.46)%] and in normal control group [(2.93 ± 0.74)%]; and it was higher in acute liver injury group than in normal control group. The expression level of Foxp3 mRNA in liver tissue had the same trend as the results of flow cytometry. It was higher in ALR intervention group than in acute liver injury group and in the normal control group. The mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in ALR intervention group decreased as compared with acute liver injury group; the mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in acute liver injury group significantly increased as compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALR can protect mice against acute liver injury by up-regulating the expression of Tregs, which may be related to Tregs-mediated down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Haiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Jinli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Hepatopathy, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Hepatopathy, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Artificial Liver Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: Zhongping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D050862:Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000201:enzymology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D050862:Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors; C551231:GFER protein, mouse; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase