The role of non-professional liver-resident APCs for inhibition of immune-mediated hepatitis in the mouse liver

Objectives: A single injection of concanavalin A (ConA) to mice induces acute Th1-mediated hepatitis. Tolerance against ConA rechallenge develops within 8 days and is mediated by IL–10-producing CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). This study was intended to identify the contribution of hepatocytes (HC) to ConA tolerance by inducing a regulatory phenotype in naïve T cells. Methods: HC or splenic DC were isolated from saline- or ConA-pretreated wt, IL–10-, IFNγ-, IRF–1- or B7H1-deficient mice. Subsequently, HC or DC were co-cultured with splenic CD4+ responder T cells from wt, DEREG or IL–10 KO mice and stimul…