Aim: Recent evidence shows that cultured mycelium Cordyceps sinensis (CMCS) effectively protects against liver fibrosis in mice. Here, we investigated whether the anti-fibrotic action of CMCS was related to its regulation of the activity of hepatic natural killer (NK) cells in CCl4-treated mice.
Methods: C57BL/6 mice were injected with 10% CCl4 (2 mL/kg, ip) 3 times per week for 4 weeks, and received CMCS (120 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), ig) during this period. In another part of experiments, the mice were also injected with an NK cell-deleting antibody ASGM-1 (20 mu g, ip) 5 times in the first 3 weeks. After the mice were sacrificed, serum liver function, and liver inflammation, hydroxyproline content and collagen deposition were assessed. The numbers of hepatic NK cells and expression of NKG2D (activation receptor of NK cells) on isolated liver lymphocytes were analyzed using flow cytometry. Desmin expression and cell apoptosis in liver tissues were studied using desmin staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. The levels of alpha-SMA, TGF-beta, RAE-1 delta and RAE-1 epsilon in liver tissues were determined by RT-qPCR.
Results: In CCl4-treated mice, CMCS administration significantly improved liver function, attenuated liver inflammation and fibrosis, and increased the numbers of hepatic NK cells and expression level of NKG2D on hepatic NK cells. Furthermore, CMCS administration significantly decreased desmin expression in liver tissues, and increased TUNEL staining adjacent to hepatic stellate cells. Injection with NK cell-deleting ASGM-1 not only diminished the numbers of hepatic NK cells, but also greatly accelerated liver inflammation and fibrosis in CCl4-treated mice. In CCl4-treated mice with NK cell depletion, CMCS administration decelerated the rate of liver fibrosis development, and mildly upregulated the numbers of hepatic NK cells but without changing NKG2D expression.
Conclusion: CMCS alleviates CCl4-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis via promoting activation of hepatic NK cells. CMCS partially reverses ASGM-1-induced depletion of hepatic NK cells.
[1]Shanghai Univ Tradit Chinese Med, Shuguang Hosp, Inst Liver Dis, Shanghai 201203, Peoples R China.
[2]Shanghai Key Lab Tradit Chinese Clin Med, Shanghai 201203, Peoples R China.
[3]Shanghai Municipal Educ Commiss, E Inst TCM Internal Med, Shanghai 201203, Peoples R China.
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