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The inhibitor of NF-κB (I-κB) kinase (IKK) complex consists of 3 subunits, IKK1, IKK2, and NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO), and is involved in the activation of NF-κB by various stimuli. IKK2 or NEMO constitutive knockout mice die during embryogenesis as a result of massive hepatic apoptosis. Therefore, we examined the role of IKK2 in TNF-induced apoptosis and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the liver by using conditional knockout mice. Hepatocyte-specific ablation of IKK2 did not lead to impaired activation of NF-κB or increased apoptosis after TNF-α stimulation whereas conditional NEMO knockout resulted in complete block of NF-κB activation and massive hepatocyte apoptosis. In a model of partial hepatic I/R injury, mice lacking IKK2 in hepatocytes displayed significantly reduced liver necrosis and inflammation than wild-type mice. AS602868, a novel chemical inhibitor of IKK2, protected mice from liver injury due to I/R without sensitizing them toward TNF-induced apoptosis and could therefore emerge as a new pharmacological therapy for liver resection, hemorrhagic shock, or transplantation surgery.

Increasing evidence demonstrates that IL-6 has a protective role during liver injury. IL-6 activates intracellular pathways via the gp130 receptor. In order to identify IL-6-gp130 pathways involved in mediating liver protection, we analyzed hepatocyte-specific gp130 knockout mice in a concanavalin A-induced (Con A-induced) model of immune-mediated hepatitis. We demonstrated that IL-6-gp130-dependent pathways in hepatocytes alone are sufficient for triggering protection in Con A-induced hepatitis. gp130-STAT3 signaling in hepatocytes mediates the IL-6-triggered protective effect. This was demonstrated by analysis of IL-6-induced protection in mice selectively deficient for gp130-dependent STAT1/3 or gp130-SHP2-RAS signaling in hepatocytes. To identify IL-6-gp130-STAT1/3 dependently expressed liver-protective factors, we performed gene array analysis of hepatic gene expression in hepatocyte-specific gp130 -/-mice as well as in gp130-STAT1/3-and gp130-SHP2-RAS-MAPK-deficient mice. The mouse IL-8 ortholog KC (also known as Gro-α) and serum amyloid A2 (SAA2) was identified as differentially IL-6-gp130-STAT3-regulated genes. Hepatic expression of KC and SAA2 mediate the liver-protective potential of IL-6, since treatment with recombinant KC or serum SAA2 effectively reduced liver injury during Con A-induced hepatitis. In summary, this study defines IL-6-gp130-STAT3-dependent gene expression in hepatocytes that mediates IL-6-triggered protection in immune-mediated Con A-induced hepatitis. Additionally, we identified the IL-6-gp130-STAT3-dependent proteins KC and SAA2 as new candidates for therapeutic targets in liver diseases.

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Hypericin is a potent agent in the photodynamic therapy of cancers and accumulates to a large extent in tumor tissue. To better understand the impact of hypericin aggregates present in the delivery vehicle on the biodistribution of the compound, we compared the in vivo tissue accumulation after administering hypericin suspended as coarse aggregates in phosphate-buffered saline, with the biodistribution found after injection of a solution of hypericin in a mixture of DMSO, polyethylene glycol and water. When administered as coarse aggregates, hypericin showed a pronounced uptake in liver, spleen and lung and a slow body clearance with a complete decline in tumor/normal tissue ratios (far less than 1). In contrast, delivery of hypericin as a solution resulted in dramatically improved tumor to normal tissue ratios and a relatively fast elimination from the body. To elucidate the exact localization of hypericin in both conditions, a fluorescence microscopy study was performed on sections of spleen, liver, lung and tumor tissue. At 24 h after injection, fluorescence in spleen, liver and lung was faint and homogeneous for dissolved hypericin, whereas bright fluorescent spots covering the entire tissue sections were found when coarse aggregates were injected. We found that aggregates get trapped within these tissues, followed by a gradual monomerization. A direct involvement of monocytes and macrophages, however, could not be demonstrated. In conclusion, it is of critical importance that the delivery vehicle prevents extensive aggregation of hypericin before injection and assures an efficient transfer to serum lipoproteins upon injection. These results may also be extended to radiolabeled derivatives and other lipophilic photosensitizers, such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines and chlorines, with similar aggregation properties.

Summaryrt-PA-K, a variant of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) with substitution of amino acids 296 to 299 with alanine (KHRR296-299AAAA) has increased fibrin-specificity and reduced sensitivity to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; rt-PA-T, with threonine 103 replaced by asparagine has an additional glycosylation site and a reduced clearance; and rt-PA-N, with asparagine 117 mutagen-ized to glutamine lacks the high mannose carbohydrate side chain. We have investigated whether combination of these properties in a single molecule might yield an improved thrombolytic agent.The thrombolytic potency and fibrin-specificity of the combination mutant rt-PA-TNK was compared with that of rt-PA in a combined venous whole blood clot model and platelet-rich arterial eversion graft thrombosis model in dogs given intravenous heparin and aspirin. Infusion of 0.125 to 1.0 mg/kg over 60 min in groups of 4 to 5 dogs produced dose-dependent fibrin-specific venous clot lysis. The thrombolytic potency (percent lysis per mg compound administered per kg body weight) of rt-PA-TNK was significantly higher than that of rt-PA as evidenced by a higher maximal rate of lysis of 480 ± 100% versus 140 ± 40% within the 2 h observation period per mg of compound administered per kg body weight (mean ± SEM, p = 0.004) and a significantly lower dose of 0.08 ± 0.01 versus 0.21 ± 0.04 mg/kg body weight at which the maximal rate of lysis was obtained (p = 0.004). This higher thrombolytic potency was the result of a significantly reduced clearance (240 ± 32 versus 540 ± 49 ml/min, p = 0.002) and a similar specific thrombolytic activity (percent lysis per |ig/ml plasma antigen level). Arterial reflow was obtained with 1 mg/kg rt-PA and with 0.5 mg/kg rt-PA-TNK, but with each agent recanalization was consistently associated with cyclic reocclusion and reflow. The frequency of arterial recanalization was somewhat higher with rt-PA-TNK (10/12) than with rt-PA (4/12) (p = 0.07) but the total patency times during a 2 h observation period were similar.