The effect of hydrodynamics-based delivery of an IL-13-Ig fusion gene for experimental autoimmune myocarditis in rats and its possible mechanism

Interleukin (IL)-13 is a pleiotropic cytokine secreted by activated Th2 T lymphocytes. Th1 cytokines are assumed to exacerbate and Th2 cytokines to ameliorate rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). Here, we examined the effect of IL-13 on EAM, using a hydrodynamics-based delivery of an IL-13-Ig fusion gene, as well as the possible mechanism of its effect. Rats were immunized on day 0, and IL-13-Ig-treated rats were injected with pCAGGS-IL-13-Ig, and control rats with pCAGGS-Ig, on day 1 or 7. On day 17, the IL-13-Ig gene therapy was effective in controlling EAM as monitored by a decreased heart weight/body weight ratio, by reduced myocarditis and by reduced atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA in the heart, as a heart failure marker. On the basis of IL-13 receptor mRNA expression in separated cells from EAM hearts, we proposed that IL-13-Ig target cells were CD11b+ cells and non-cardiomyocytic noninflammatory (NCNI) cells, such as fibroblasts, smooth muscle or endothelial cells. IL-13-Ig inhibited expression of the genes for prostaglandin E synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, IL-1β and TNF-α in cultivated cells from EAM hearts, while it enhanced expression of the IL-1 receptor antagonist gene. We conclude that IL-13-Ig ameliorates EAM and suppose that its effectiveness may be due to the influence on these immunologic molecules in CD11b+ and NCNI cells.