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Upregulation of activin signaling in experimental colitis.

ABSTRACT: Several lines of studies have suggested that activins are critical mediators of inflammation and tissue repair. As activins and their receptors are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, we tested the hypothesis that activin signaling is involved in the development of colitis by using two murine models of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or in mdr1a-/- mice. By immunohistochemistry, expression of activins was found increased in both models and correlated with the severity of inflammation. Activin expression was observed in macrophages as well as in some nonmacrophage cells. Furthermore, while activin receptors are normally expressed in colonic epithelial cells, their expression was further increased in both epithelial cells and inflammatory cells in inflamed colonic mucosa. Moreover, in vitro studies showed that activin A inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, and this growth inhibition was largely reversed by administration of the activin inhibitor, follistatin. Because we also observed an increased number of apoptotic epithelial cells in both colitis models, the upregulation of activins occurring in colitis could be involved both in the inflammatory process and in growth inhibition of the intestinal epithelium. Importantly, in vivo administration of follistatin attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration during colitis. Rectal bleeding was reduced, and the integrity of epithelium was preserved in the DSS/follistatin-treated group compared with the group treated with DSS alone. Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation studies showed an increase in proliferative epithelial cells in the DSS/follistatin-treated group, suggesting that follistatin accelerates epithelial cell proliferation/repair during colitis. Overall, our results reveal that activin signaling may play an important role in the pathogenesis and resolution of colitis. These findings suggest new therapeutic options in inflammatory bowel diseases.

SUBMITTER: Zhang YQ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2763799 | biostudies-other | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Upregulation of activin signaling in experimental colitis.

Zhang You-Qing YQ Resta Silvia S Jung Barbara B Barrett Kim E KE Sarvetnick Nora N

American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology 20090730 4

Several lines of studies have suggested that activins are critical mediators of inflammation and tissue repair. As activins and their receptors are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, we tested the hypothesis that activin signaling is involved in the development of colitis by using two murine models of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or in mdr1a-/- mice. By immunohistochemistry, expression of activins was found increased in both models and correlated with the severity of inf ...[more]

PMID: 19643954

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Project description:The endoribonuclease RNase-L is a type-I interferon (IFN)-regulated component of the innate immune response that functions in antiviral, antibacterial, and antiproliferative activities. RNase-L produces RNA agonists of RIG-I-like receptors, sensors of cytosolic pathogen-associated RNAs that induce cytokines including IFN-?. IFN-? and RIG-I-like receptors signaling mediate protective responses against experimental colitis and colitis-associated cancer and contribute to gastrointestinal homeostasis. Therefore, we investigated a role for RNase-L in murine colitis and colitis-associated cancer and its association with RIG-I-like receptors signaling in response to bacterial RNA.Colitis was induced in wild type-deficient and RNase-L-deficient mice (RNase-L?/?) by administration of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Colitis-associated cancer was induced by DSS and azoxymethane (AOM). Histological analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed on colon tissue to analyze immune cell infiltration and tissue damage after induction of colitis. Expression of cytokines was measured by quantitative real-time-PCR and ELISA.DSS-treated RNase-L?/? mice exhibited a significantly higher clinical score, delayed leukocyte infiltration, reduced expression of IFN-?, tumor necrosis factor ?, interleukin-1?, and interleukin-18 at early times post-DSS exposure, and increased mortality as compared with wild-type mice. DSS/AOM-treated RNase-L?/? mice displayed an increased tumor burden. Bacterial RNA triggered IFN-? production in an RNase-L-dependent manner and provided a potential mechanism by which RNase-L contributes to the gastrointestinal immune response to microbiota and protects against experimental colitis and colitis-associated cancer.RNase-L promotes the innate immune response to intestinal damage and ameliorates murine colitis and colitis-associated cancer. The RNase-L-dependent production of IFN-? stimulated by bacterial RNA may be a mechanism to protect against gastrointestinal inflammatory disease.

Dataset Information

Upregulation of activin signaling in experimental colitis.

Publications

Upregulation of activin signaling in experimental colitis.

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