Establishment of a human in vitro model to investigate inflammatory immune reactions between Kupffer cell activation and hepatocyte damage – an approach to study DILI

Hepatic tissue damage can occur due to surgical interventions, infections or drug induced liver injury (DILI). Kupffer cells (KC) play an important role in initiating tissue damage but also in regenerative processes. KC activation by LPS, foreign proteins or endogenous proteins can lead to an activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway mediated by reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI). Once activated, KCs release different cytokine patterns that support inflammation or induce tolerance reactions. Aim of the present study was to establish a human in vitro model which enables the detection of cell-cell communication b…