The Influence of Upstream IL-2 -330 (T/G) and TNF-α -308 (A/G) Polymorphisms on Glutamine-Supplemented Cytokine Release

Effects of Blood Purification on Serum Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines and Cardiac Function in a Rat Model of Sepsis

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to explore the effects of blood purification (BP) on serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and cardiac function in a rat model of sepsis.

METHODS

A rat model of sepsis was established by cecal ligation and puncture. All rats were divided into the normal control, sham operation, model, sham treatment, and BP treatment groups. Cardiac functions, inflammatory cytokines, myocardial enzymes, pathological score of cardiac muscle tissue, and myocardial apoptosis of rats in each group were compared.

RESULTS

Sepsis rats had higher serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and lower cardiac function than those in the normal control and sham operation groups. Compared with the model and sham treatment groups, improved cardiac functions, decreased inflammatory cytokines, myocardial enzymes, pathological score, and myocardial apoptosis and mortality were observed in the BP treatment group.

CONCLUSION

BP may reduce serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and improve cardiac function of sepsis rats.

Interleukin-2 gene polymorphism in Turkish patients with Behçet's disease and its association with ocular involvement

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic immune-mediated systemic disease, characterized by oral and genital lesions and ocular inflammation. Several cytokine genes may play crucial roles in host susceptibility to BD, because the cytokine production capacity varies among individuals and depends on the cytokine gene polymorphisms. The association of the interleukin (IL)-2 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to BD was investigated in this study. DNA samples were obtained from a Turkish population of 97 patients with BD and 76 healthy control subjects. Polymorphisms of IL-2 gene at position -330 and +166 were determined using the polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. In the patients with BD, there was a significantly increased frequency of IL-2 -330 GT genotype. Interestingly, we demonstrated that the frequencies of IL-2 -330 GT and IL-2 + 166 GG genotypes were increased in BD patients with ocular involvement, whilst IL-2 -330 TT genotype was significantly decreased. Also, analysis of allele frequency demonstrated that the presence of G allele at position +166 of IL-2 seems to be a risk factor for ocular involvement. These results reveal that IL-2 -330 GT genotype may be a susceptibility factor for BD, whereas IL-2 -330 TT genotype seems to display a protective association with BD. Additionally, IL-2 gene polymorphisms might be associated with ocular involvement in BD.

Ameliorative effect of supplementation with L-glutamine on oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell viability and hepatotoxicity induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in rat hepatocyte cultures

The most potent of the dioxins, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), is a persistent and ubiquitous environmental contaminant. And the health impact of exposure to TCDD is of great concern to the general public. Recent data indicate that L-glutamine (Gln) has antioxidant properties and may influence hepatotoxicity. The objective of the present study was undertaken to explore the effectiveness of Gln in alleviating the hepatotoxicity of TCDD on primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Gln (0.5, 1 and 2 mM) was added to cultures alone or simultaneously with TCDD (0.005 and 0.01 mM). The hepatocytes were treated with TCDD and Gln for 48 h. Then cell viability was detected by [3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, while total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total glutathione (TGSH) and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels were determined to evaluate the oxidative injury. The DNA damage was also analyzed by liver micronucleus assay (MN) and 8-oxo-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG). The results of MTT and LDH assays showed that TCDD decreased cell viability but not L-glutamine. TCDD also increased TOS level in rat hepatocytes and significantly decreased TAC and TGSH levels. On the basis of increasing doses, the dioxin in a dose-dependent manner caused significant increases of micronucleated hepatocytes (MNHEPs) and 8-OH-dG as compared to control culture. Whereas, in cultures exposured with Gln alone, TOS levels were not changed and TAC and TGSH together were significantly increased in dose-dependent fashion. The presence of Gln with TCDD modulated the hepatotoxic effects of TCDD on primary hepatocytes cultures. Noteworthy, Gln has a protective effect against TCDD-mediated DNA damages. As conclusion, we reported here an increased potential therapeutic significance of L-glutamine in TCDD-mediated hepatic injury for the first time.

Modulatory effect of l-glutamine on 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced liver injury in rats

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of l-glutamine (Gln) in alleviating the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD) in liver of rats. Rats were intraperitoneally administered Gln and TCDD doses daily for 21 days. In the liver of rats, the biochemical tests, pathological examination and micronucleus (MN) test were performed. TCDD significantly decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and serious pathological findings. Moreover, the rate of MNs in hepatocytes increased after treatment with dioxin. In rats treated with Gln alone, the MNs remained unchanged, but the ratio of glutathione (GSH) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly increased. Gln also prevented the suppression of GSH-Px (except for superoxide dismutase and catalase) and GSH in the livers of animals exposed to TCDD and displayed a strong protective effect against MNs. Thus, our findings for Gln might provide new insight into the development of therapeutic and preventive approaches in TCDD toxicity.