Purpose and experimental design: To investigate a possible interaction between interleukin 10 (IL-10) and galectin-3 for protection of human breast carcinoma BT549 cells against liver ischemia-reperfusion-induced cytotoxicity, we used a liver/tumor coculture system. We also used IL-10-deficient C57BL/6 [IL-10(-/-)] mice and their wild-type C57BL/6 [IL-10(+/+)] mice to examine these interactions.
Results: More than 90% of galectin-3 cDNA-transfected BT549 cells (BT549-Gal3) survived after 24-h coculture with C57BL/6 [IL-10(+/+)] liver fragments isolated after ischemia. In contrast, approximately 70% of control vector-transfected BT549 cells (BT549-Neo) showed metabolic death after culture with liver fragment. However, when the ischemic liver from IL-10 (-/-) mice was used, BT549-Gal3 did not exhibit enhanced survival against ischemia-reperfusion-induced cytotoxicity.
Conclusions: These data suggest that IL-10 and galectin-3 cooperatively interact to protect cells from ischemia-reperfusion injury.