肝X受体（liver X receptor，LXRs）是核受体超家族成员，能被氧化的胆固醇衍生物结合并激活，在胆固醇逆向转运中起着非常重要的作用。LXRs在人体的代谢和炎症中都有重要作用。现从获得性免疫反应中LXRs通过调控胞膜的重要组成物质-胆固醇胞内水平，从而抑制T细胞增殖的方向，在硫转移酶2B-肝X受体-膜转运体G1（SULT281-LXR—ABCG1）轴线上探讨LXRs对获得性免疫的调节作用，以及LXRs对神经元衍生孤核受体（NOR-1）的调控作用，以进一步认识LXRs的调控功能。
Objective： To explore the role of activated liver X receptor α （LXRα） on the expressions of interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase-4 （IRAK-4） and NF-kappaB （NF-κB） in the inflammatory response which induced by LPS in the Kupffer cells and to investigate the possible mechanisms of LXRα negative regulation of inflammatory response. Methods： The Kupffer cells were isolated from male Kunming mice by collagen perfusion in situ. And these cells were divided into 4 groups： normal control group, LPS treatment group, LXRct agonist T0901317 treatment group, LPS and T0901317 combined treatment group. The LPS treatment group were treated with a final concentration of 1 μg/ml LPS in RPMI 1640 and cultured for 6 h, the T0901317 treatment group were treated with a final concentration of 5 μg/ml in RPMI 1640 and cultured for 24 h, and the combined treatment group received pre-culture for 24 h with a final concentration of 1μg/ml T0901317 in RPMI 1640 and then cultured for 6 h with a final concentration of 5 μg/ml LPS in RPMI 1640. All groups were cultured for 30 h. The expression of LXRα, IRAK-4 and NF-κB at mRNA and protein levels were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting, and the TNF-α and IL-1β levels were detected by ELISA. Results： The levels of LXRα mRNA and protein were highest in T0901317 group, and lowest in LPS group （P〈0.05）. The level of IRAK4 and NF-κB mRNAs and proteins were evidently lower in the Combined-treated group than in LPS group （P〈0.05）. And the level of TNF-α and IL-1 were observed highest in LPS group （P〈0.05）, but no difference among the Control group, T0901317 group and Combined-treated group （P〉0.05）. Conclusion： These date suggest that the LXR agonists can effectively up-regulate the expressions of LXRα mRNA and protein and inhibit the inflammatory response. This may be via down-regulating the expressions of IRAK4 and NF-κB at mRNA and protein levels.
