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. 2013 Mar 21;19(11):1683–1698. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i11.1683

Table 3.

Cytokine, chemokine, tolllike receptor, complement knockout models of liver ischemia reperfusion injury

Ref. Knockout model IR protocol Outcome measure Agent Adaptive responses Injurious responses
Kuboki et al[26] CXCR2 70% I 90 min/R 12, 24, 48, 96 h Histology; MPO; serum ALT, TNF-α, IL6; WB and NFκβ activity CXCR2 activates STAT3 hepatocyte proproliferative pathway MIP2 activates CXCR2 which increases neutrophil recruitment and IRI. Nuclear factor (NF) κβ activity reduced in IRI
Zhai et al[44] IFNAR type1 (-/-); IFNAR type 2 (-/-) 70% I 90 min/R 6 h Histology; quantitative PCR IFNβ (not IFNγ) mediates IRI by binding to IFNAR type 1
Zhao et al CXCL10 (-/-) 70% I 90 min/R 1, 2, 4, 8 h Histology; serum ALT; IH; quantitative PCR; WB CXCL10 activation increases TNF-α, IL6, IL1b, iNOS, MIP-2 mRNA and PMN and Kupffer cell activation contributes to IRI
Fondevilla et al C6 deficient rats Donor/recipient: WT/WT, KO/WT, WT/KO, KO/KO; Serum GOT; histology; MPO; IH; TUNEL; WB; PCR; ELISA Membrane attack complex (C5b-C9) activation in this OLT model of cold/warm IRI increases apoptosis, necrosis, PMN and macrophage infiltration and TNF-α, IFNγ and IFNβ expression
OLT and organ storage 24 h 4  °C UWS
Shen et al[32] Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) (-/-) Donor/recipient: WT/WT, KO/WTWT/KO, KO/KO; OLT with dearterialisation, organ stored 24 h 4  °C UWS Histology; IH; MPO; quantitative PCR; capsase-3 activity; WB TLR4 activation increases IL4 and IL10, but inhibits HO-1 TLR4 activation increases TNF-α, IL1b, IL2, IFNγ, ICAM1, CXCL10, PMN and CD4+ T cell recruitment leading to increased liver necrosis and apoptosis
Conzelmann et al TNFR (-/-) Donor/recipient: WT/WT, KO/WTWT/KO, KO/KO; organ storage 12 h 4  °C UWS; 8 h graft harvest Histology; serum ALT; MPO; TUNEL and caspase-3 assay; IH TNFR within liver mediates reduced IRI TNFR outside liver increases IRI in terms of necrosis, apoptosis and neutrophil infiltration
Tsung et al[37] Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) (-/-) 70% I 60 min/R 1, 3, 6, 12 h Histology; serum ALT; WB; PCR Adenovirus IRF-1 vector IFNγ, IFNβ, TNF-α, IL1β all activate IRF-1 which increase JNK (not p38 MAPK) and TNF-α and iNOS expression in IRI
Tian et al[40] TNFR1 (-/-); IL6 (-/-) Donor/recipient: WT/WT, KO/WT, WT/KO, KO/KO; OLT: 50% or small for size 30% arterialised graft Histology; serum AST; portal flow measurement; IVM; IH; PCR; 30 d mortality GdCl3 (ip to donor); pentoxifylline (to donor and recipient sc); recombinant IL6 to KO only Increased IL6 Increased activation of Kupffer cells and TNF-α mediated activation of IFNR1 from 3 h reperfusion onwards increases liver necrosis, nonperfused sinusoids, adherent leucocytes and reduces hepatocyte regeneration
Shen et al[38] TLR4 (-/-); TLR2 (-/-) 70% I 90 min/R 6 h Histology; serum ALT; MPO; WB; PCR Snpp (inhibit HO-1); CoPP HO-1 is expressed which inhibits TLR4 TLR4 activation increases TNF-α expression associated with increased IRI
Lagoa et al[81] PAI-1 (-/-) MAP 25-30 mmHg for 2.5 h (2.25 mL/100 g blood withdrawn)/Resuscitation MAP > 80 mmHg for 4 h (30 min with shed blood and crystalloid) Serum ALT, IL6, IL10; histology; Electron microscopy; IH; zymography for plasminogen activators; DNA microarray; PCR; WB PAI-1 to PAI-1 (-/-) mice PAI-1 expression in SEC contributes to IRI with periportal/pericentral injury, loss of sinusoidal fenestra and prominent SEC injury; PAI-1 inhibits u-PA which reduces formation of active HGF and increases active TGF-β1, but no effect on IL6 or IL10; this is associated with reduced activation of ERK-1/-2 pathway.
Teoh et al[36] TNF-α (-/-) 70%I 90 min/R 2, 4, 24 h Serum ALT; IH; serum TNF-α; EMSA (NFκβ); WB Low dose or high dose TNF-α ip TNF-α from at least 2 h reperfusion onwards is injurious to ischaemic but not normal liver, increasing NFκβ DNA binding
Inderbitzin et al[57] CI inhibitor overexpressed Total hepatic ischaemia 30 min/R 2 h Endothelial permeability index (measured using radiolabelled albumin iv into inferior vena cava) of liver, lung and gut C1 inhibitor overexpression is protective in IRI Classical complement pathway is activated in IRI; liver ischaemia and reperfusion causes liver and gut, but not lung, IRI in this model
Zhai et al TLR4 (-/-); TLR2 (-/-) 70%I 90 min/R 6 h Serum ALT; histology; PCR TLR4 activation increases expression of IRF3 which upregulates IFNβ associated with increased IRI
Rudiger et al[39] TNFR (-/-); Fas (-/-); FasL (-/-) 70% I 75 min/R 3 h Serum AST; TUNEL; caspase-3 assay; ELISA; WB Pentoxifylline TNF-α binds to TNFR1 which increases apoptosis in IRI; fas and FasL not involved in this model
Kato et al[82] IL1R (-/-) 70%I 90 min/R 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 h Serum ALT, IL1β, TNF-α and MIP-2; histology (PMN score); MPO; EMSA (NFκβ); PCR IL1R not involved in IRI
Calmargo et al IL6 (-/-) Median lobe (45%) I 90 min/R 30, 60, 90, 120 min Serum AST and ALT; histology; PCR Recombinant IL6 IL6 released in IRI is protective TNF-α expression during reperfusion is associated with worse IRI

KO: Transgenic knockout; WT: Wild type (normal animals); IH: Immunohistochemistry; WB: Western blotting; MPO: Myeloperoxidase assay; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; ELISA: Enzyme labelled immunosorbent assay; EMSA: Electrophoretic mobility shift assay; AST: Aspartate transaminase; ALT: Alanine transaminase; GOT: Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; I: Ischemia; R: Reperfusion; IR: Ischemia reperfusion; IRI: Ischemia reperfusion injury; IVM: Intravital microscopy; IFN: Interferon; Ab: Antibody; TNF: Tumour necrosis factor; TNFR1: Tumour necrosis factor receptor (subtype 1); TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (assay for cell death); IL: Interleukin; CXCR: Chemokine receptor; PAI: Plasminogen activator inhibitor; NF: Nuclear factor; C1-9: Complement protein 1 to 9; MAP: Mean arterial pressure; MIP: Major intrinsic protein.