| First Author | Faggioni R | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 97 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 2367-72 |
| PubMed ID | 10681432 | Mgi Jnum | J:60929 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1354097 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.040561297 |
| Citation | Faggioni R, et al. (2000) Leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice are protected from T cell-mediated hepatotoxicity: role of tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-18. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97(5):2367-72 |
| abstractText | The role of leptin was investigated in two models of T cell-mediated hepatitis: the administration of Con A or of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PEA). In both models, leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice were protected from liver damage and showed lower induction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and IL-18 compared with their lean littermates. Neutralization of TNF-alpha reduced induction of IL-18 by either Con A (70% reduction) or PEA (40% reduction). Pretreatment of lean mice with either soluble TNF receptors or with an anti-IL-18 antiserum significantly reduced Con A- and PEA-induced liver damage. The simultaneous neutralization of TNF-alpha and IL-18 fully protected the mice against liver toxicity. However, neutralization of either IL-18 or TNF-alpha did not inhibit Con A-induced production of IFN-gamma. Thymus atrophy and alterations in the number of circulating lymphocytes and monocytes were observed in ob/ob mice. Exogenous leptin replacement restored the responsiveness of ob/ob mice to Con A and normalized their lymphocyte and monocyte populations. These results demonstrate that leptin deficiency leads to reduced production of TNF-alpha and IL-18 associated with reduced T cell-mediated hepatotoxicity. In addition, both TNF-alpha and IL-18 appear to be essential mediators of T cell-mediated liver injury. |