Yueqin Han - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Yanping Zhu - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Jinshen Wang - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Yanqin Han - Departments of Pharmacy, the Fourth People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital of Liaocheng, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Daogang Qin - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Qiaozhi Yang - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Xiaojing Sun - Department of Pediatrics, Liaocheng People&#۰۳۹;s Hospital, Liaocheng ۲۵۲۰۰۰, Shandong, China
Lijun Chen - Department of Pediatrics, Shandong Province-owned Hospital, Jinan ۲۵۰۰۲۱, Shandong, China

Objective(s): To investigate the efficacy of interleukin ۱۱ (IL-۱۱) towards the high dose methotrexate (HDMTX)-concurrent rat small intestinal mucositis and its impacts on the proliferation of the human T-lymphoblastic leukemia (CEM) cell line. Materials and Methods: ۹۵ Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, the normal control group (A), the methotrexate (MTX) control group (B), the IL-۱۱-pre-treated high-dose group (C), the post-IL-۱۱-treatment high-dose group (D) and the post-IL-۱۱-treatment low-dose group (E). After the intraperitoneal injection of MTX in the groups B-E, the rats were sacrificed at ۱, ۳, ۵ and ۷ days. The mortality, morphological and ultrastructural changes of small intestine of each group were observed. The cells were then cultured in vitro, and the MTT method was used to investigate the effects of different concentration of IL-۱۱ on CEM proliferation and also on HDMTX-induced mucositis. Results: IL-۱۱ could reduce the intestinal histopathological score, increase the height of small intestinal villi, promote the proliferation of intestinal lacunar cells and reduce the mortality rate of rats. The IL-۱۱ pre-treatment group exhibited the best efficacies, demonstrating significant difference with the control group (P<۰.۰۱). In addition, the proliferation of CEM was not promoted, indicating that IL-۱۱ could not inhibit HDMTX. Conclusion: IL-۱۱ could reduce the severity of HDMTX-induced intestinal mucositis, and improve the survival rate of experimental rats, and could be safely used as the adjuvant treatment of HDMTX in childhood leukemia.

CEM cell line, Interleukin ۱۱, Methotrexate, Mucositis