A Novel Bifunctional Fusion Protein (Anti-IL-17A-sST2) Protects against Acute Liver Failure, Modulating the TLR4/MyD88 Pathway and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

Abstract

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a serious inflammatory disorder with high mortality rates, which poses a significant threat to human health. The IL-33/ST2 signal is a crucial regulator in inflammation responses associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages. The IL-17A signaling pathway promotes the release of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines, recruiting neutrophils and T cells under LPS stimulation, thus facilitating inflammatory responses. Here, the potential therapeutic benefits of neutralizing the IL-17A signal and modulating the IL-33/ST2 signal in ALF were investigated. A novel dual-functional fusion protein, anti-IL-17A-sST2, was constructed, which displayed high purity and biological activities. The administration of anti-IL-17A-sST2 resulted in significant anti-inflammatory benefits in ALF mice, amelioration of hepatocyte necrosis and interstitial congestion, and reduction in TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, anti-IL-17A-sST2 injection downregulated the expression of TLR4 and NLRP3 as well as important molecules such as MyD88, caspase-1, and IL-1β. The results suggest that anti-IL-17A-sST2 reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors, attenuated the inflammatory response, and protected hepatic function by regulating the TLR4/MyD88 pathway and inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome, providing a new therapeutic approach for ALF.

Keywords

• acute liver failure
• IL-33/ST2
• IL-17A
• LPS/D-GalN
• TLR4
• NLRP3