The Mechanism of Liver Injury in Mice Caused by Lanthanoids Min Fei & Na Li & Yuguan Ze & Jie Liu & Sisi Wang & Xiuaolan Gong & Yanmei Duan & Xiaoyang Zhao & Han Wang & Fashui Hong Received: 7 January 2010 / Accepted: 6 April 2010 / Published online: 21 April 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Abstract It has been proven that higher dose of lanthanoid (Ln) can induce liver toxicities, but the mechanisms and the molecular pathogenesis are still unclear. In this study, LaCl 3 , CeCl 3 , and NdCl 3 at a higher dose of 20 mg/kg body weight was injected into the abdominal cavity of ICR mice for 14 consecutive days, and the inflammatory responses of liver of mice were investigated by histopathological test, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. The results showed the significant accumulation of Ln in the liver results in liver histopathological changes and, therefore, liver malfunctions. The real-time quantitative RT–PCR and ELISA analyses showed that Ln could significantly alter the mRNA and protein expressions of several inflammatory cytokines, including nucleic factor- κB, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, cross-reaction protein, interleukin-4, and interleukin-10. Our results also implied that the inflammatory responses and liver injury likely are caused by 4f shell and alterable valence properties of Ln-induced liver toxicity. Keywords Mice . Lanthanoid . Liver . Inflammatory cytokines . Histopathological changes Introduction It is well known that the lanthanoid (previously lanthanide) series comprise the 15 elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71, from lanthanum to lutetium. All lanthanoids are f- block elements, corresponding to the filling of the 4f electron shell, except for lanthanum which is a d-block lanthanoid [1–3]. The lanthanoid series (Ln) is named after lanthanum. There is zero, one, and three electrons in 4f shell for lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd), respectively. Ce not only has +3 valence but also can be oxidized to the +4 valence, while the valence of La and Nd cannot be altered. The electron of 4f shell can result in Biol Trace Elem Res (2011) 140:317–329 DOI 10.1007/s12011-010-8698-x The authors Min Fei, Na Li, Yuguan Ze, Jie Liu, and Sisi Wang contributed equally to this work. M. Fei : N. Li : Y. Ze : J. Liu : S. Wang : X. Gong : Y. Duan : X. Zhao : H. Wang : F. Hong (*) Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’ s Republic of China e-mail: Hongfsh_cn@sina.com