Ursodeoxycholic Acid Exhibits Anti-inflammatory Activity against Concanavalin A-induced Immune Hepatitis in Mice

Abstract ObjectiveIt was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced immune hepatitis in mice and determine the molecular mechanism. MethodsFemale C57BL/6J mice were randomly classified into Control, ConA, and ConA+UDCA groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the expression of hepatic inflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and receptor-interacting protein (RIP)3 mRNA. The percentages of immune cells in liver and spleen were detected and analyzed by flow cytometry. ResultsUDCA decreased the serum ALT and AST levels, down-regulated the expression of cytokine TNF-α mRNA and necroptosis marker RIP3 mRNA in the liver tissue, up-regulated the percentages of immunomodulatory myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in liver and spleen tissues, and down-regulated the accumulation of liver macrophages of mice with immune hepatitis. ConclusionsUDCA attenuates ConA-induced hepatic inflammation in mice by reducing the production of hepatic inflammatory factors, inhibiting the expression of necroptosis signal proteins in hepatocytes, down-regulating the accumulation of hepatic macrophages, and increasing the percentage of MDSCs with immunomodulatory properties.