Comparison of Concanavalin a-Induced Murine Autoimmune Hepatitis Models

Abstract

Background/aims: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic necroinflammatory disease of the liver whose pathogenic mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Moreover, the current treatment used for the vast majority of AIH patients is largely dependent on immunosuppressant administration and liver transplantation. However, research on the pathogenesis of AIH and effective new treatments for AIH have been hampered by a lack of animal models that accurately reproduce the human condition.

Methods: AIH models created by concanavalin A (ConA) injections at different times and doses. The levels of ALT, AST, LDH and inflammatory cytokines were examined at various times after 20 mg/kg ConA was administered by ELISA using commercially available kits. Moreover, liver pathological changes were observed by flow cytometry (FCM) and H&E staining.

Results: Our experiments demonstrated that the levels of ALT, AST, LDH and several inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-6, were higher in the 20 mg/kg 12 h ConA group than in the other groups. Importantly, the numbers of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the blood, spleen and liver were calculated. These results showed that ConA (20 mg/kg for 12 h)-induced hepatitis was similar to that in clinical AIH patients. Furthermore, we found that the number of MDSCs in the blood was significantly increased in the ConA (20 mg/kg for 12 h) group compared with controls. Our findings indicated that ConA (20 mg/kg for 12 h)-induced hepatitis could be used as an experimental murine model that mirrors most of the pathogenic properties of human type I AIH.

Conclusion: This model [ConA (20 mg/kg for 12 h)] provides a valuable tool for studying AIH immunopathogenesis and rapidly assessing novel therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH); Concanavalin A (ConA); Cytokines; Immune cells; Mouse models.