Influence of Lipoxin-A4 Treatment on Cytokine, Chemokine Genes Expression, and Phenotypic Distribution of Lymphocyte Subsets During Experimental Liver Fibrosis

Objective: Lipoxins are anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving molecules that are secreted by immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages. Lipoxins are a metabolite of the arachidonic acid pathway that resolve inflammation in fibrotic liver by producing several anti-inflammatory molecules. In this study, phenotypic distribution activation markers of lymphocytes in the spleen and expression levels of chemokines (chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 3, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10) cytokines (interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10) in the liver of lipoxin A4-treated fibrotic mice were investigated. Materials and methods: Liver fibrosis was induced in BALB/c mice by thioacetamide administration. Lipoxin A4 was administered during last 2 weeks of induction. Fibrosis level was determined by using Knodell scoring. Lymphocytes were identified by flow-cytometry. Expression levels of genes were measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction in liver homogenates. Results: Lipoxin A4 treatment caused an elevation of T-lymphocyte percentage in the spleen. Interestingly, administration of lipoxin A4 significantly reduced B-lymphocyte population in spleen of fibrotic group. CD8(+) cytotoxic T cell frequency significantly reduced in thioacetamide-induced mice; however, lipoxin A4 administration increased that percentage significantly. Lipoxin A4 treatment significantly reduced frequency of activated (CD8(+)CD69(+)) cytotoxic T cells. Expression levels of chemokines significantly reduced in the liver after lipoxin A4 treatment. While expression levels of interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-6 significantly reduced in the liver after lipoxin A4 treatment, an anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 expression was almost at similar levels in all experimental groups. Conclusion: Lipoxin A4 performs its anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the frequency of activated T cells and expression levels of chemokines cytokines responsible from inflammatory immune response in the liver.