Physiological and molecular effects of interleukin-18 administration on the mouse kidney

BACKGROUND: The cytokine interleukin-18 was originally identified as an interferon-γ-inducing proinflammatory factor; however, there is increasing evidence to suggest that it has non-immunological effects on physiological functions. We previously investigated the potential pathophysiological relationship between interleukin-18 and dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and suggested interleukin-18 as a possible novel treatment for not only these diseases but also for cancer immunotherapy. Before clinical application, the effects of interleukin-18 on the kidney need to be determined. In the current study, we examined the kidney of interleukin-18 knockout (Il18(−/−)) mice and the effects of interleukin-18 on the kidney following intravenous administration of recombinant interleukin-18. METHODS: Il18(−/−) male mice were generated on the C57Bl/6 background and littermate C57Bl/6 Il18(+/+) male mice were used as controls. To assess kidney damage, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were measured and histopathological analysis was performed. For molecular analysis, microarray and quantitative reverse transcription PCR was performed using mice 6 and 12 weeks old. To evaluate the short- and long-term effects of interleukin-18 on the kidney, recombinant interleukin-18 was administered for 2 and 12 weeks, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with Il18(+/+) mice, Il18(−/−) mice developed kidney failure in their youth-6 weeks of age, but the condition was observed to improve as the mice aged, even though dyslipidemia, arteriosclerosis, and higher insulin resistance occurred. Analyses of potential molecular mechanisms involved in the onset of early kidney failure in Il18(−/−) mice identified a number of associated genes, such as Itgam, Nov, and Ppard. Intravenous administration of recombinant interleukin-18 over both the short and long term showed no effects on the kidney despite significant improvement in metabolic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Short- and long-term administration of interleukin-18 appeared to have no adverse effects on the kidney in these mice, suggesting that administration may be a safe and novel treatment for metabolic diseases and cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1426-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.