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Attenuated liver fibrosis and depressed serum albumin levels in carbon tetrachloride‐treated IL‐6‐deficient mice
Author(s) -
Natsume Miyoko,
Tsuji Hirokazu,
Harada Akihisa,
Akiyama Mariko,
Yano Tomoyuki,
Ishikura Hiroshi,
Nakanishi Isao,
Matsushima Kouji,
Kaneko Shuichi,
Mukaida Naofumi
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1002/jlb.66.4.601
Subject(s) - carbon tetrachloride , ccl4 , albumin , medicine , endocrinology , fibrosis , hepatocyte , biology , hepatic fibrosis , interleukin , serum albumin , cytokine , immunology , chemistry , biochemistry , in vitro , organic chemistry
Chronic intermittent injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCI 4 ) for more than 10 weeks induced liver fibrosis in mice, as evidenced by positive Azan staining and increased intrahepatic collagen content. Preceding the onset of liver fibrosis, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) gene expression was enhanced in liver and immunoreactive IL‐6 was detected in infiltrating inflammatory cells. To delineate the role of IL‐6 in this process, we treated IL‐6‐deficient mice with CCl 4 in a similar manner for 12 weeks, after which fibrotic changes were less evident and serum albumin levels were lower in IL‐6‐deficient than wild‐type mice. Moreover, CCl 4 ‐induced expression of transforming growth factor β 1 and hepatocyte growth factor genes in liver was significantly reduced in IL‐6‐deficient mice. Thus, IL‐6 may be vitally involved in fibrotic changes and maintenance of serum albumin levels, partly by modulating intrahepatic expression of these cytokines. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 601–608; 1999.