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Tracking anti‐fibrotic pathways of nilotinib and imatinib in experimentally induced liver fibrosis: A n insight
Author(s) -
Shiha Gamal E,
AbuElsaad Nashwa M,
Zalata Khaled R,
Ibrahim Tarek M
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/1440-1681.12286
Subject(s) - nilotinib , medicine , proinflammatory cytokine , fibrosis , imatinib , tyrosine kinase , intraperitoneal injection , transforming growth factor , tyrosine kinase inhibitor , platelet derived growth factor receptor , pharmacology , endocrinology , cancer research , growth factor , receptor , inflammation , cancer , myeloid leukemia
Summary The tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib and nilotinib have been suggested to have promising antifibrotic activity in experimental models of liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate new pathways underlying this beneficial effect. Hepatic injury was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of CC l 4 for 12 weeks. During the last 8 weeks of treatment, rats were also injected daily intraperitoneally with 20 mg/kg imatinib or 20, 10 or 5 mg/kg nilotinib. At the end of treatment, effects on fibrosis were assessed by measuring serum fibrotic markers and profibrogenic cytokines, as well as by histopathological examination. Possible anti‐inflammatory effects were estimated by measuring levels of inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue. Liver expression of α ‐smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor ( TGF )‐ β 1 antibodies and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor β ( PDGFR β ) was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining techniques. Nilotinib (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased all serum fibrotic markers measured, but 20 mg/kg of either nilotinib or imatinib had limited effects. At all doses tested, nilotinib significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased the CC l 4 ‐induced increases in tissue inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, 5 and 10 mg/kg nilotinib significantly decreased TGF ‐ β 1 levels and tissue expression of its antibody, as well expression of PDGFR β . In conclusion, low doses (5 and 10 but not 20 mg/kg) of nilotinib, rather than imatinib, can control hepatic fibrosis by regulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines, primarily interleukin ( IL )‐1 and IL ‐6. Nilotinib also controls the signalling pathways of profibrogenic cytokines by lowering TGF ‐ β 1 levels and decreasing expression of PDGFR β .