Protective effect of interleukin-36 receptor antagonist on liver injury induced by concanavalin A in mice

Interleukin-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra) is a new member of the IL-1 family that exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of inflammatory and immune diseases. Our purpose was to determine the effect of IL-36Ra on liver injury in a mouse hepatitis model induced by concanavalin A (ConA). Mice were treated with IL-36Ra DNA or pcDNA3.1 control plasmid using a hydrodynamic gene delivery approach. Our data reveal that treatment with IL-36Ra decreased liver inflammation and serum level of aminotransferases. Furthermore, IL-36Ra reduced ConA-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-17A) production when compared to control plasmid. Our results demonstrated that IL-36Ra is a critical protector against ConA-induced liver injury.