In Vivo Validation Model of a Novel Anti-Inflammatory Scaffold in Interleukin-10 Knockout Mouse

We fabricated anti-inflammatory scaffold using Mg(OH)₂-incorporated polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid copolymer (MH-PLGA). To demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of the MH-PLGA scaffold, an animal model should be sensitive to inflammatory responses. The interleukin-10 knockout (IL-10 KO) mouse is a widely used bowel disease model for evaluating inflammatory responses, however, few studies have evaluated this mouse for the anti-inflammatory scaffold.

To compare the sensitivity of the inflammatory reaction, the PLGA scaffold was implanted into IL-10 KO and C57BL/6 mouse kidneys. Morphology, histology, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression analyses were carried out at weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12. The anti-inflammatory effect and renal regeneration potency of the MH-PLGA scaffold was also compared to those of PLGA in IL-10 KO mice.

The PLGA scaffold-implanted IL-10 KO mice showed kidneys relatively shrunken by fibrosis, significantly increased inflammatory cell infiltration, high levels of acidic debris residue, more frequent CD8-, C-reactive protein-, and ectodysplasin A-positive cells, and higher expression of pro-inflammatory and fibrotic factors compared to the control group. The MH-PLGA scaffold group showed lower expression of pro-inflammatory and fibrotic factors, low immune cell infiltration, and significantly higher expression of anti-inflammatory factors and renal differentiation related genes compared to the PLGA scaffold group.

These results indicate that the MH-PLGA scaffold had anti-inflammatory effects and high renal regeneration potency. Therefore, IL-10 KO mice are a suitable animal model for in vivo validation of novel anti-inflammatory scaffolds.