Publication Date
2014
Journal Title
Dig Dis Sci
Abstract
Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a devastating syndrome, which sometimes results in death or liver transplantation, in which inflammation would aggravate the development of fetuin-A which would act as an anti-inflammatory factor and may be an available approach to attenuate FHF. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fetuin-A on d-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (d-GalN/LPS)-induced liver failure in mice. A mouse model of FHF induced by d-GalN/LPS was established and fetuin-A was injected intraperitoneally prior to d-GalN/LPS treatment. At different time points after d-GalN/LPS intervention, serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA. Fetuin-A mRNA and protein expression in liver tissues was assessed by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Besides, an observation of liver tissue injury, the apoptosis of hepatocytes, was analyzed by TUNEL assay. Expression of fetuin-A mRNA and protein in liver tissue were significantly and gradually decreased after d-GalN/LPS administration. A pre-intervention of exogenous fetuin-A significantly improved the liver function, decreased TNF-alpha and IL-6 expression in peripheral blood, and liver tissue inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis responded to d-GalN/LPS induction so as to decrease the mortality rates of FHF mouse. Meanwhile, fetuin-A was negatively correlated with the hepatic pathological score and TNF-alpha protein staining in FHF mouse. An intraperitoneal injection of fetuin-A attenuates d-GalN/LPS-induced FHF in mice. Fetuin-A might be a protective agent of liver damage partly through inhibiting liver inflammatory response and hepatocyte apoptosis.
Volume Number
59
Issue Number
8
Pages
1789-1797
Document Type
Article
Status
Faculty
Facility
School of Medicine
Primary Department
Emergency Medicine
PMID
DOI
10.1007/s10620-014-3071-0