The protective function of galectin-9 in liver ischemia and reperfusion injury in mice.

ABSTRACT: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) has gained attention as a multifaceted player in adaptive and innate immunity. To elucidate the role of Gal-9, we used a mouse model of partial liver ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) with wild type (WT) and Gal-9 knockout (KO) mice as well as a recombinant galectin-9 (reGal-9) protein. We found that the expression of Gal-9 was enhanced endogenously in the liver especially by hepatocytes and Kupffer cells during warm IRI for a mouse liver, which causes massive destruction of liver tissue. Gal-9 was released into the extracellular space in the liver and the highest levels in the plasma at 1 hour after reperfusion. The present study elucidates a novel role of Gal-9 signaling in mouse liver IRI, by using Gal-9-deficient mice and a stable form of reGal-9 protein. In the circ

SUBMITTER: Hirao H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4744675 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature