May 1, 1996Circulation Research
Modification of Viral Myocarditis in Mice by Interleukin-6
Why the study?
Does IL-6 administration reduce myocardial damage in mice with viral myocarditis?
Population
Eight-week-old C3H/HeJ mice with viral myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV)
Comparison
Human IL-6 10 micrograms/0.1 mL injected… vs 0.1 mL PBS injected on day 0 for 4 days
Design
Preclinical
Follow-up
Up to 30 days
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
Early IL-6 may attenuate murine viral myocarditis; leaves open translation to human disease and requires clinical trials.
Key Points
- To determine the therapeutic effects and immunological mechanisms of interleukin-6 (IL-6) administration in mice with viral myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV).
- Injected 8-week-old C3H/HeJ mice intraperitoneally with EMCV on day 0.
- Administered subcutaneous human IL-6 (10 µg twice daily for 4 days) starting on day -4 (group A), day 0 (group B), or day +4 (group D), comparing against PBS-treated controls (group C).
- Assessed myocardial viral titers, in situ viral replication, histopathology, neutralizing antibody titers, circulating cytokines, and splenic NK-cell activity at days 4, 10, and 30 post-infection.
- Day 0 IL-6 administration (group B) significantly increased EMCV-neutralizing antibody titers compared with control group C (P < 0.05), while reducing myocardial viral titers, in situ viral replication, circulating TNF-alpha, and splenic NK-cell activity at day 4.
- Mice receiving day 0 IL-6 exhibited reduced heart-weight-to-body-weight ratios and diminished myocardial damage on days 10 and 30 relative to controls, with day 30 heart weights normalizing to healthy baseline levels.
- Histopathology and immunohistochemistry showed enhanced macrophage infiltration in the heart and spleen, enlarged splenic follicles, and thymic medullary expansion in group B by day 10.
Structured PICO
Does IL-6 administration reduce myocardial damage in mice with viral myocarditis?
P
Population
Eight-week-old C3H/HeJ mice with viral myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV)
I
Intervention
Human IL-6 10 micrograms/0.1 mL injected subcutaneously twice daily for 4 consecutive days starting on day -4, day 0, or day +4
C
Comparator
0.1 mL PBS injected on day 0 for 4 days
O
Outcome
Myocardial damage, viral titer in the heart, viral replication, and survival ratesurrogate
IL-6 administration early in the course of viral myocarditis reduces myocardial damage and viral replication in a murine model.
Cite This Study
Kanda et al. (1996) studied this question.