Interleukin-10 gene transfer improves the survival rate of mice inoculated with Escherichia coli. 
To determine whether administration of recombinant adenovirus vectors encoding the interleukin (IL)-10 protein (AxCAmIL-10) decreases the mortality of septic mice.  Prospective, randomized, controlled study.  University research laboratory.  Adult male C57B/6 mice.  Untreated mice and those injected intraperitoneally with 1 x 10(9) pfu of AxCAmIL-10 were used as control 1 and 2, respectively.  Double-capsules without Escherichia coli were intraperitoneally embedded in another group (control 3).  Mice embedded with capsules containing E. coli were divided into the following groups: simultaneous administration of 0.5 mL of saline (group 1), and administration of AxCAmIL-10 3 hrs before embedding (group 2) or 1 hr after embedding (group 3).  Histopathologic changes together with expression concentrations of IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in various organs and plasma were examined 18 hrs after each treatment.  Observation periods were 5-8 days.  Survival rates were compared between these groups.  The plasma IL-10 concentrations were increased in control 2, group 2, and group 3 but not in control 1, control 3, or group 1, indicating successful adenovirus gene transfer.  Plasma TNF values were significantly reduced in groups 2 and 3 as compared with group 1, with no significant differences in endotoxin concentrations.  Survival rates were significantly better in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (p < .05).  These findings suggested that IL-10 has a favorable effect on survival of septic mice via inhibition of TNF production or endotoxin stimulation.