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  • Title: Leflunomide attenuates hepatocyte injury by inhibiting Kupffer cells.
    Author: Yao HW, Li J, Chen JQ, Xu SY.
    Journal: World J Gastroenterol; 2004 Jun 01; 10(11):1608-11. PubMed ID: 15162534.
    Abstract:
    AIM: To investigate the importance of direct contact between Kupffer cells (KCs) and hepatocytes (HCs) during hepatic inflammatory responses, and the effect of leflunomide's active metabolite, A(771726), on cytokines in KCs, HCs and KC cocultures (DC cocultures). METHODS: KCs and HCs in liver were isolated by digestion with pronase and collagenase. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in monocultures of rat HCs and KCs was compared with that in DC cocultures. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) concentrations in different culture supernatants were measured with ELISA. TNF-alpha mRNA in KCs of inflammatory liver injury was analyzed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: DC cocultures strongly exhibited the production of TNF-alpha and IL-1 compared with other cultures, and these cytokines were mainly produced by KCs, especially by activated KCs. Time course studies revealed an increased production of TNF-alpha preceding the IL-1 production, suggesting that increased TNF-alpha levels could be involved in the increase of IL-1 production. Leflunomide's active metabolite, A(771726), had significantly inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha and IL-1 at protein and transcription levels, and the reduced production of IL-1 by A(771726) was associated with the inhibitory action of A(771726 ) on TNF-alpha. CONCLUSION: Leflunomide can inhibit hepatocyte damage by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine release from KCs.
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