Toshihiro Okamoto and Tadashi Kobayashi
Research Laboratories, Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd., 1-22 Hikokawato, Misato,
Saitama 341-0005, Japan
Abstract: Treatment of mice with concanavalin A (Con A) induced
interleukin-2 (IL-2) mRNA expression in the liver, which might be a result
of Con A-induced T-cell activation. Pretreatment with cyclosporine A (CsA)
(50 mg/kg, i.p.) or dexamethasone (DEX) (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the
Con A-induced liver injury, as assessed by the plasma alanine aminotransferase
level, by 85% and 95%, respectively. CsA inhibited the Con A-induced IL-2
mRNA expression completely, whereas DEX only partially inhibited it. Thus
CsA seems to prevent Con A-induced hepatitis mainly by inhibiting T-cell
activation. In the case of DEX, rather than by inhibiting Con A-induced
T-cell activation, it may prevent Con A-induced hepatitis through other
means.
Keywords: Concanavalin A, Cytokine mRNA, Hepatitis