HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by King, V. L. Articles by Daugherty, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by King, V. L. Articles by Daugherty, A. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 43, 768-771, May 2002
Copyright © 2002 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Interleukin-4 deficiency promotes gallstone formation

Victoria L. King^*, Stephen J. Szilvassy and Alan Daugherty^1,*

^* Gill Heart Institute, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: adaugh{at}uky.edu

Manuscript received 17 May 2001, in revised form 16 January 2002, and in re-revised form 14 February 2002.

Feeding interleukin-4 (IL-4) deficient C57BL/6 LDL receptor (LDLr)^-/- mice a modified diet to investigate the role of this cytokine in cholesterol metabolism led to an unexpected phenotype. IL-4^-/- LDLr^-/- mice had enlarged gallbladders and an increased mortality that was preceded by acute body weight loss. To determine if IL-4 deficiency accounted for these findings, C57BL/6 IL-4^+/+ and IL-4^-/- mice were fed either a normal or modified diet. IL-4 deficiency did not alter bile composition or cause liver toxicity in mice fed a fat-enriched diet. Following 8 weeks of feeding a fat-enriched diet, no gallstones were detected in IL-4^+/+ mice, and only 20% had cholesterol crystals. In contrast, IL-4^-/- mice had a 100% incidence of gallstones and cholesterol crystals. IL-4^-/- deficiency also increased serum concentrations of bilirubin following feeding a fat-enriched diet. Therefore, these studies revealed an unexpected finding that IL-4 deficiency predisposes to gallstone formation.—King, V. L., S. J. Szilvassy, and A. Daugherty. Interleukin-4 deficiency promotes gallstone formation. J. Lipid Res. 2002. 43: 768–771.

Abbreviations: IL-4, interleukin-4; A:G, albumin/total protein; GOT: GPT, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase/glutamic pyruvic transaminase

Supplementary key words bone marrow transplant • LDL receptor • cholesterol

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. L. King, L. A. Cassis, and A. Daugherty Interleukin-4 Does Not Influence Development of Hypercholesterolemia or Angiotensin II-Induced Atherosclerotic Lesions in Mice Am. J. Pathol., December 1, 2007; 171(6): 2040 - 2047. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]