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Published on: May 29, 2020
Protective Effects of Interleukin-37 Expression against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice
Zhiwei Xu1,2, Kan Li2, Xiuhe Pan2
1The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, China.
Aim:
Interleukin (IL)-37 is a new anti-inflammatory cytokine of the IL-1 family. This study aimed to determine the effects of IL-37 on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury.
Materials And Methods:
IL-37 plasmids were injected into mice via a tail vein hydrodynamics-based gene delivery.
Results:
Our results showed that IL-37 pretreatment significantly decreased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, hepatic myeloperoxidase activity, and attenuated the histological liver damage. Compared to the APAP group, IL-37 administration decreased Kupffer cells numbers in the liver of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Furthermore, IL-37 pretreatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-17, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in APAP-induced mice.
Conclusion:
These results demonstrate that delivery of IL-37 plasmid can ameliorate APAP-induced liver injury by reducing proinflammatory cytokines production and preventing the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. IL-37 may be a promising candidate against APAP-induced liver injury.
