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Published in

MDPI, Cells, 9(9), p. 1949, 2020

DOI: 10.3390/cells9091949

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IL-13 as Target to Reduce Cholestasis and Dysbiosis in Abcb4 Knockout Mice

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The Th2 cytokine IL-13 is involved in biliary epithelial injury and liver fibrosis in patients as well as in animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate IL-13 as a therapeutic target during short term and chronic intrahepatic cholestasis in an Abcb4-knockout mouse model (Abcb4−/−). Lack of IL-13 protected Abcb4−/− mice transiently from cholestasis. This decrease in serum bile acids was accompanied by an enhanced excretion of bile acids and a normalization of fecal bile acid composition. In Abcb4−/−/IL-13−/− double knockout mice, bacterial translocation to the liver was significantly reduced and the intestinal microbiome resembled the commensal composition in wild type animals. In addition, 52-week-old Abcb4−/−IL-13−/− mice showed significantly reduced hepatic fibrosis. Abcb4−/− mice devoid of IL-13 transiently improved cholestasis and converted the composition of the gut microbiota towards healthy conditions. This highlights IL-13 as a potential therapeutic target in biliary diseases.