Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using Poly(I:C) to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
Early development of primary biliary cirrhosis in female C57BL/6 mice because of poly I:C administration
Chizuko Okada1, Sk Md Fazle Akbar, Norio Horiike
1Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Toon-shi, Ehime, Japan.
Background:
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is one of the organ-specific autoimmune diseases characterized by destruction of the biliary epithelial cells, cholestasis, liver cirrhosis, and liver failure. With the postulation that induction of the autoimmune process might induce PBC-like cholangitis, here we used polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), an inducer of type-1 interferon (IFN), to generate an autoimmune cholangitis animal model.
Methods:
Female C57BL/6 mice were injected with 5 mg/kg of poly I:C twice a week for 28 consecutive weeks. Liver specimens were collected to evaluate the degree of cell infiltration. Autoantibodies, including antimitochondrial antibody (AMA), were assayed by immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. IFN-alpha was estimated in the sera by an ELISA method. Poly I:C injection induced IFN-alpha.
Results:
Mononuclear cells were detected at the portal areas 8 weeks after the start of poly I:C injection, which progressed up to 16 weeks. Autoantibodies, including AMA, were detected in the sera from all poly I:C-injected mice.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, we show an early development of a PBC-like cholangitis in a genetically susceptible mouse strain because of poly I:C administration. This model would be helpful to study PBC immunopathogenesis and to evaluate the effectiveness of newly developed therapeutic regimens for PBC.
