Adenovirus-Mediated Dual Gene Expression of Human Interleukin-10 and Hepatic Growth Factor Exerts Protective Effect Against CCl.sub.4-Induced Hepatocyte Injury in Rats

Background Hepatocyte injury is a common pathological cause of various liver diseases. Due to a lack of an effective preventive treatment, gene therapy has become an interesting approach to prevent and alleviate liver injury. Aims A protective effect of adenovirus-mediated dual gene expression of human interleukin-10 (hIL-10) and human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) was investigated against tetrachloromethane (CCl.sub.4)-induced hepatocyte injury in rats. Methods An adenoviral vector carrying the hIL-10 and hHGF genes was constructed, and its protective effect against rat hepatocyte injury was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. Results In the in vitro CCl.sub.4-induced cell injury model, simultaneous transfection of hIL-10 and hHGF genes via an adenoviral vector resulted in production of anti-hepatocyte biological factors by an autocrine mechanism, then significantly improved hepatocyte viability. In the in vivo rat model, synergistic effects of these two gene products protected hepatocytes from damage by reducing the CC1.sub.4-induced hepatocyte degeneration, hepatic fibrosis, and intrahepatic inflammatory cell infiltration, thereby preserving liver function. Conclusion Adenovirus-mediated dual gene expression of hIL-10 and hHGF effectively protected against liver damage by likely regulating immune responses to reduce hepatocyte injury and by promoting hepatocyte regeneration. The hIL-10 and hHGF dual gene expression vector has significant potential in the field of liver disease therapeutics and constitutes one of the most promising current strategies for gene therapy.