High-mobility group box 1 exacerbates concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear factor released extracellularly as an early endogenous alarmin of inflammation following injury and as a late mediator of lethality in sepsis. Although HMGB1 has been implicated in acute lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis, and allograft rejection, its role in T-cell mediated hepatitis remains obscure. Here, we investigated the role and the underlying mechanisms of HMGB1 in concanavalin A (Con A) induced hepatic injury. We demonstrate that high levels of HMGB1 were detected in the necrotic area and in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes after Con A treatment. Administration of exogenous recombinant HMGB1 enhanced Con A-induced hepatitis, while blockade of HMGB1 protected animals from T cell-mediated hepatitis as evidenced by decreased serum transaminase, associated with reduced hepatic necrosis and mortality. Blockade of HMGB1 by a neutralizing antibody inhibited proinflammatory cytokine production, NFκB activity, and the late stage of T/NKT cell activation. These finding thus suggest a pivotal factor of HMGB1 in Con A-induced hepatitis. Blockage of extracellular HMGB1 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent hepatic injury in T cell-mediated hepatitis.