Hepatic Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Research Articles

A Comparison of Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Hepatitis in Ethanol‐Fed Wistar and Lewis Rats

Elevated concentrations of plasma proinflammatory cytokines have been detected in patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and in a model of lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatitis in ethanol-fed Wistar rats. These cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the liver damage. Considering the likely involvement of the immune system in AH, and the frequent use of Lewis rats in autoimmune disease models, Lewis rats were examined in the model to determine whether they would more closely mimic the immune status of a chronic alcoholic and be a preferable strain for use in future experiments. Lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6 mRNA expression was examined in both rat strains. The overall pattern of histological (panlobular piecemeal necrosis) and biochemical liver damage (plasma ALT levels), and cytokine expression was similar in both strains. Thus, it would appear that, despite the known susceptibility of Lewis rats to autoimmune phenomena, they do not respond to the experimental regime significantly better than Wistar rats. This study confirms that unknown mediators are contributing to the liver damage seen in this model and possibly in AH.

Hepatic inflammation following 70% hepatectomy may be related to up-regulation of epithelial neutrophil activating protein-78.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is known to be released after partial hepatectomy. Furthermore, TNF triggers the release of chemotactic cytokines, such as epithelial neutrophil activating protein (ENA-78), which are important for neutrophil chemotaxis, activation, and propagation of the inflammatory response. We now postulate that ENA-78 may play a role the hepatic inflammatory response that occurs following partial hepatectomy. Rats were subjected to 70% hepatectomy or sham laparotomy and were killed in a time-dependent manner. Hepatic neutrophil influx, as assessed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and hepatic TNF and ENA-78 levels, as measured by ELISA, were evaluated at 1, 6, and 12 h following operation. MPO levels became significantly elevated within 6 h of hepatectomy and remained elevated at 12 h. Serum ALT became significantly elevated within 1 h of hepatectomy and continued to rise at 12 h. Hepatic TNF and ENA-78 were also increased significantly after hepatectomy. Next, rats undergoing 70% hepatectomy were treated with neutralizing anti-ENA-78 serum; this resulted in a significant decrease in hepatic MPO and serum ALT, suggesting less hepatic injury. To determine whether ENA-78 release was induced by TNF is this model, rats were treated with neutralizing anti-TNF serum and hepatic ENA-78 levels measured 6 h posthepatectomy. ENA-78 levels were significantly decreased in the animals receiving the anti-TNF serum, suggesting that ENA-78 is released in response to TNF in this model. These data suggest that TNF triggers the release of ENA-78 following 70% hepatectomy and that ENA-78 contributes to the hepatic neutrophil influx and liver injury following 70% hepatectomy.

Fluid resuscitation attenuates early cytokine mRNA expression after peritonitis.

To study the hypothesis that fluid resuscitation alters cytokine gene expression after experimental murine peritonitis. Mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce peritonitis and were randomized to receive variable amounts of normal saline (0, 0.25, 1.0 ml. subcutaneously) and serum (0 or 0.1 mL) after operation. Hepatic and small intestinal (ileal) tissue were harvested at 3 or 6 hours after CLP, and total tissue RNA was extracted. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to provide relative quantitation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 beta messenger RNA (mRNA) compared with beta-actin. CLP without resuscitation resulted in significant increases in hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA (1190% at 6 hours compared with normal animals), and IL-1 beta mRNA (1475%), and intestinal IL-1 beta mRNA (1243%). Volume administration attenuated cytokine expression at both 3 and 6 hours, and saline seemed to have more potent effects than serum. The volume of resuscitation correlated with survival at 18 hours. Survival in the saline (1 mL) + serum group was 90% at 18 hours compared with 20 to 40% in the groups with little or no resuscitation. Overall, there were no survivors at 30 hours. Fluid resuscitation (amount, composition, timing) should be an important consideration in the utilization of experimental infection models. Furthermore, optimization of the patient's intravascular volume status during sepsis may have important effects on immune responses, in addition to improving hemodynamic variables.

Contribution of complement-stimulated hepatic macrophages and neutrophils to endotoxin-induced liver injury in rats

The role of complement as potential activator for tissue macrophages and neutrophils was investigated in an experimental model of endotoxin-induced liver injury in male Fischer rats. Injection of Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin (1 mg/kg) into Corynebacterium parvum-pretreated animals (7 mg/kg; single dose 6 days before endotoxin) resulted in severe oxidant stress, as indicated by a 37-fold increase of plasma levels of glutathione disulfide (basal concentration, 0.36 +/- 14 mumol/L), accumulation of neutrophils in the liver (600 +/- 31 neutrophils/50 high-power fields) and liver injury (plasma ALT, 1184 +/- 185 U/l; necrosis; 19% +/- 3%) 10 hr after endotoxin. The oxidant stress induced by 1 mg/kg endotoxin in the C. parvum-treated animals was always significantly higher than that in control animals receiving the same dose of endotoxin. Inhibition of complement activation with the soluble complement receptor type 1 attenuated the oxidant stress and liver injury by 50% to 65% but had no effect on hepatic neutrophil accumulation or plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody directed against the alpha-chain of CD11b/CD18 adhesion proteins (clone 17), which was highly effective in attenuating ischemia-reperfusion injury in the liver by reducing the number of neutrophils and functionally inactivating these cells, neither protected against parenchymal cell injury nor affected hepatic neutrophil infiltration in the C. parvum model. We conclude that reactive oxygen derived from complement-stimulated macrophages is critical for the development of liver injury in the C. parvum/endotoxin model.