Inhibiting the oligomerisation and glycosaminoglycan binding of the chemokine CCL5 reduces experimental liver injury in vivo

Aims: We recently identified the chemokine CCL5 as a mediator of the interaction between immune cells and hepatic stellate cells. Notably, a competitive antagonist of CCL5 receptors ameliorated liver injury in vivo (Berres et al. JCI 2010). We here investigate whether inhibition of CCL5 oligomerisation and glycosaminoglycan binding by a mutated CCL5 protein (44AANA47-CCL5) does also ameliorate liver cell injury and fibrosis. Methods: Liver injury was induced in C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (chronic: 0.6mg/kg, twice a week, 6 weeks; acute: 0.8mg/kg, single dose). Simultaneously, mice received…