Immune-mediated liver diseases including autoimmune and viral hepatitis are a major health problem worldwide. Natural cannabinoids such as Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) effectively modulate immune cell function, and they have shown therapeutic potential in treating inflammatory diseases. We investigated the effects of THC in a murine model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis. Intra...

BACKGROUND Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are getting increased attention as one of the main regulatory cells of the immune system. They are induced at sites of inflammation and can potently suppress T cell functions. In the current study, we demonstrate how activation of TRPV1 vanilloid receptors can trigger MDSCs, which in turn, can inhibit inflammation and hepatitis. METHODOLOGY/...

Although fulminant hepatitis represents a ubiquitous human health problem, there is a lack of effective therapeutic strategies that have few side‑effects and the precise mechanisms underlying fulminant hepatitis are not fully understood. Phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K) is a pivotal kinase known to regulate inflammatory responses in hepatic diseases. Although previous research indicates that PI...

Hepatitis C most commonly manifests with asymptomatic elevations in transaminase levels or in advanced stages, may present with hepatic encephalopathy or ascites. We report the first case in the literature, in which the initial manifestation of hepatitis C induced chronic liver disease was recurrent hypoglycemia and hypothermia. In our case, the hypoglycemia was induced by glycogen depletion fr...

The putative role of IL-4 in human and animal models of hepatitis has not yet been directly determined. We now report that direct expression of IL-4 in the liver of rats or mice using recombinant adenoviruses coding for rat or mouse IL-4 (AdrIL-4 and AdmIL-4, respectively) results in a lethal, dose-dependent hepatitis. The hepatitis induced by IL-4 was characterized by hepatocyte apoptosis and ...

TNF-alpha is a central mediator of T cell activation-induced hepatitis in mice, e.g., induced by Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PEA). In this in vivo mouse model of T cell-dependent hepatitis, liver injury depends on both TNFRs. Whereas TNFR1 can directly mediate hepatocyte death, the in vivo functions of TNFR2 in pathophysiology remained unclear. TNFR2 has been implicated in deleterious leukocyte act...

Objective(s): Interleukin-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra) is a new member of the IL-1 family that exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of inflammatory and immune diseases. Our purpose was to determine the effect of IL-36Ra on liver injury in a mouse hepatitis model induced by concanavalin A (ConA). Materials and Methods: Mic...

Immune-mediated responses were the main causes of liver damage during viral hepatitis, and recently viral RNA mimetic Poly I:C was used to induce a NK cell-dominated acute hepatitis. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), the cytokine tightly associated with various autoimmune diseases, was known to play protective or pathological roles in LPS and ConA-induced hepatitis. However, its role in NK cell-mediate...