title: IL-38 alleviates concanavalin A-induced liver injury in mice.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-38 is a poorly characterized cytokine of the IL-1 family with anti-inflammatory activity. The role of IL-38 in liver injury remains unknown. We have investigated the potential effect of hydrodynamic-based gene delivery to express human IL-38 in mice with concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury. Transfer of plasmid DNA encoding IL-38 significantly reduced hepatic toxicity and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase compared with administration of a control plasmid. Moreover, IL-38 expression dramatically reduced serum levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-22, but not levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. These results suggest that in vivo expression of human IL-38 in mice has hepatoprotective effects against Con A-induced liver injury by inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Xianli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Xiuhe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Gaihuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Wenwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China.
authors.forename: Qiaoyan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China. Electronic address: limingcai@nbu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Mingcai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002470:Cell Survival; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C571243:IL-38 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007378:Interleukins; D003208:Concanavalin A; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Concanavalin A; Hydrodynamic-based gene delivery; IL-38; Inflammatory cytokines; Liver injury