Adenine nucleotides modulate epithelial wound healing in vitro

BACKGROUND

Adenine nucleotides have been demonstrated to enhance structural and functional regeneration in experimental renal injury in rats. The mechanism of adenine nucleotide action have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of adenine nucleotides on intestinal epithelial wound healing in vitro.

METHODS

The effects of adenine nucleotides on cell migration, cell proliferation and cell adhesion were studied in the non-transformed small intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6 using an in vitro wounding model, a colorimetric BrdU assay and a hexosaminidase adhesion assay.

RESULTS

The adenine nucleotides ADP and ATP were found to significantly stimulate epithelial cell restitution (migration) in vitro. Stimulation of epithelial restitution averaged 42% for ADP and 57% for ATP. In addition, adenine nucleotides inhibited the proliferation of rat small intestinal epithelial cells, averaging 56% for ADP and 74% for ATP. Enhancement of intestinal epithelial restitution and inhibition of epithelial cell proliferation by adenine nucleotides were mediated through transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-independent pathways.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that adenine nucleotides exert functional effects on intestinal epithelial cell populations and may play a role in the morphogenesis of the gastrointestinal tract and its remodeling after injury.

Short-chain fatty acids regulate IGF-binding protein secretion by intestinal epithelial cells

Gastrointestinal epithelial cells secrete insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding proteins (IGFBPs), which modulate the actions of IGFs on cell proliferation and differentiation. Short-chain fatty acids are bacterial metabolites from unabsorbed carbohydrate (including fiber). We hypothesized that they may alter the pattern of IGFBPs secreted by epithelial cells as part of a wider phenomenon by which luminal molecules regulate gastrointestinal epithelial cell signaling. The intestinal epithelial cell line, Caco-2, predominantly secretes IGFBP-3; however, butyrate increased the secretion of IGFBP-2 in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Butyrate decreased the secretion of IGFBP-3. Butyrate altered only the synthesis and not the cell sorting of IGFBPs because 1) the secretion of IGFBPs remained polarized despite changes in their rates of production, and 2) IGFBP secretion corresponded to mRNA accumulation. The ability of short-chain fatty acids or the fungicide trichostatin A to stimulate IGFBP-2 correlated with their actions on histone acetylation. In conclusion, intestinal epithelial cells respond to short-chain fatty acids by altering secretion of IGFBPs.

Epithelial permeability induced by neutrophil transmigration is potentiated by hypoxia: role of intracellular cAMP

Mucosal tissues, such as the lung and intestine, are primary targets for ischemic damage. Under these conditions, neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte; PMN) infiltration into the protective epithelium has been implicated as a pathophysiologic mediator. Because PMN transepithelial migration results in increased paracellular permeability, and because our previous data revealed that epithelial hypoxia enhances PMN transmigration, we hypothesized that macromolecular permeability may be altered in epithelium exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) in the presence of PMNs. Human intestinal epithelia (T84) were grown on permeable supports, exposed to cellular hypoxia (pO2 20 torr) for 0-72 hr, and examined for increases in PMN-evoked permeability by using standard flux assays. Increasing epithelial hypoxia potentiated PMN-induced permeability of labeled paracellular tracers (size range 3-500 kD). Such increases were blocked by monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the PMN integrin CD11b (82 +/- 1% decreased compared with control mAb) and were partially blocked by anti-CD47 mAb (51 +/- 1%). Assessment of barrier recovery revealed that monolayers exposed to H/R were significantly diminished in their ability to reseal following PMN transmigration (recovery of 36 +/- 6% in H/R vs. 94 +/- 2% in normoxic controls). Because intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) has been demonstrated to regulate epithelial permeability, and because PMN-derived compound(s), (i.e., 5'-adenosine monophosphate; AMP) elevate epithelial cAMP, we examined the impact of hypoxia on epithelial cAMP responses. These experiments revealed that hypoxic epithelia were diminished in their ability to generate cAMP, and pharmacologic elevation (8-bromo-cAMP) of intracellular cAMP in hypoxic cells normalized both PMN-induced permeability changes and restoration of barrier function. These results support a role for PMN in increased intestinal permeability associated with reperfusion injury and imply a substantial role for cAMP signaling in maintenance of permeability during PMN transmigration.

Studies of brush border enzymes, basement membrane components, and electrophysiology of tissue-engineered neointestine

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Previous studies have shown that intestinal crypt cell transplantation using biodegradable scaffolds can generate stratified epithelium reminiscent of embryonic gut. The authors propose to tissue engineer small intestine on biodegradable scaffolds by transplanting intestinal epithelial organoid units, which maintain the epithelial mesenchymal cell-cell interaction necessary for epithelial survival, proliferation, and differentiation.

METHODS

Intestinal epithelial organoid units were isolated from neonatal Lewis rats by enzyme digestion and differential sedimentation. Organoid units were seeded on to tubular scaffolds made of nonwoven polyglycolic acid (PGA) sprayed with 5% polylactic acid (PLA). Polymers either were coated (28 constructs) or noncoated (33 constructs) with collagen type I. A total of 61 organoid unit polymer constructs were implanted into 61 animals. Animals were killed and constructs harvested at 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 14 weeks.

RESULTS

Histological analysis showed formation of neomucosa characterized by columnar epithelium with goblet, and paneth cells were evident in 47 of the 61 constructs. The outer walls were composed of fibrovascular tissue, degradable polymer, extracellular matrix, and smooth muscle-like cells. Immunofluorescent microscopy showed apical staining of brush border enzymes, sucrase and lactase, and basolateral staining for laminin, indicating the establishment of cell polarity. Electrophysiology of Ussing-chambered neomucosa and adult ileal mucosa exhibited similar transepithelial resistance.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that intestinal crypt cells heterotopically transplanted as epithelial organoid units on PGA-PLA tubular scaffolds can survive, reorganize, and regenerate complex composite tissue resembling small intestine demonstrating organ morphogenesis, cytodifferentiation, and phenotypic maturation.

Kinetics of particle uptake in the domes of Peyer's patches

Uptake of particulate antigenic matter, including microorganisms and vaccine-bearing microspheres, by the intestinal mucosa takes place in the domes of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues and is achieved by membranous (M) cells, which continuously transport particles from the lumen to the underlying tissue where some particle components initiate immune reactions. Using yeast as tracer, we investigated the kinetics of particle uptake in the Peyer's patches of pigs. A suspension of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was injected into the gut lumen of anesthetized minipigs; the position of yeast cells in the tissue was determined after 1, 2.5, 4, and 24 h using fluorescence light- and thin-section electron microscopy. After 1 h, 18.5% of all M cells had taken up or were in close contact with yeast cells. The intercellular space of the epithelium contained a maximum of 60.8% of all yeast cells found in the tissue after 2.5 h, but only 1.3% had been phagocytosed by macrophages. After 4 h most yeast cells (77.8%) were found beneath the basal lamina, and most of these (89%) were found in macrophages. No yeast cells were detected in the Peyer's patch domes 24 h after application. The data show that transcytosis of yeast particles (3.4 +/- 0.8 micron in diameter) by M cells takes <1 h. Without significant phagocytosis by intraepithelial macrophages, the particles migrate down to and across the basal lamina within 2.5-4 h, where they quickly get phagocytosed and transported out of the Peyer's patch domes.

Interaction between neurokinin A, VIP, prostanoids, and enteric nerves in regulation of duodenal function

Neurokinin A (NKA) induces duodenal motility and increases mucosal permeability and bicarbonate secretion in the in situ perfused duodenum in anesthetized rats. In the present study, the NKA-induced increase in mucosal permeability was potentiated by luminal perfusion with lidocaine and diminished by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) but unaltered by elevated intraluminal pressure. Elevation of intraluminal pressure, however, potentiated the stimulatory effect of NKA on bicarbonate secretion. In contrast, the tachykinin decreased the rate of alkalinization in rats subjected to elevated intraluminal pressure and treated with indomethacin. Similarly, NKA partially inhibited the VIP-stimulated bicarbonate secretion. Luminal lidocaine did not affect the secretory response to NKA. The motility induced by NKA was unaffected by VIP or lidocaine but decreased by elevated intraluminal pressure. It is concluded that the NKA-induced increase in duodenal mucosal bicarbonate secretion is independent of neurons and possibly mediated by prostanoids. The increase in mucosal permeability in response to NKA may be suppressed by mucosal nerves, perhaps utilizing VIP as one of the transmitters.

Mucosal mast cells are involved in CCK disruption of MMC in the rat intestine

Our aim was to determine if mucosal mast cells could be activated by endogenous CCK and, as a consequence, mediate CCK actions in the small intestine. Rats were prepared for electromyography to record electrical activity in the small intestine. In another group of animals, the duodenum was perfused to measure rat mast cell protease II (RMCP II) as indicative of mast cell degranulation. Endogenous CCK release was induced by administration of soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) in conscious rats or by intraduodenal perfusion of ovalbumin hydrolysate (OVH) in anesthetized rats. CCK concentration was measured by bioassay on pancreatic acini. SBTI in control rats disrupted migrating motor complexes (MMC) for >40 min. In rats treated with the mast cell stabilizer ketotifen, SBTI did not induce any change in the MMC pattern. RMCP II concentration in the duodenal perfusate significantly increased after OVH. Perfusate from ketotifen-treated animals did not show any significant increase in RMCP II values during OVH perfusion, although CCK plasma concentration was not different from the control group. Furthermore, infusion of the CCK-B receptor antagonist L-365,260 significantly blocked the increase of RMCP II concentration after OVH. Our results indicate that mucosal mast cells are degranulated by endogenous CCK release through stimulation of CCK-B receptors. Therefore mucosal mast cells participate in CCK intestinal actions.

CD4+ T cells mediate superantigen-induced abnormalities in murine jejunal ion transport

The immunomodulatory properties of bacterial superantigens (SAgs) have been defined, yet comparatively little is known of how SAgs may affect enteric physiology. Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) was used to examine the ability of SAgs to alter epithelial ion transport. BALB/c mice, severe combined immunodeficient (SCID, lack T cells) mice, or SCID mice reconstituted with lymphocytes or CD4+ T cells received SEB intraperitoneally, and jejunal segments were examined in Ussing chambers; controls received saline only. Baseline short-circuit current (Isc, indicates net ion transport) and Isc responses evoked by electrical nerve stimulation, histamine, carbachol, or forskolin were recorded. Serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured. SEB-treated BALB/c mice showed elevated serum IL-2 and IFN-gamma levels, and jejunal segments displayed a time- and dose-dependent increase in baseline Isc compared with controls. Conversely, evoked ion secretion was selectively reduced in jejunum from SEB-treated mice. Elevated cytokine levels and changes in jejunal Isc were not observed in SEB-treated SCID mice. In contrast, SCID mice reconstituted with T cells were responsive to SEB challenge as shown by increased cytokine production and altered jejunal Isc responses that were similar to those observed in jejunum from SEB-treated BALB/c mice. We conclude that exposure to a model bacterial SAg causes distinct changes in epithelial physiology and that these events can be mediated by CD4+ T cells.

Cellular mechanisms of intestine regeneration in the sea cucumber, Holothuria glaberrima Selenka (Holothuroidea:Echinodermata)

Echinoderms are the deuterostome group with the most striking capacity to regenerate lost body parts. In particular, members of the class Holothuroidea are able to regenerate most of their internal organs following a typical evisceration process. Such formation of new viscera in an adult organism provides a unique model to study the process of organogenesis. We have studied this process in the sea cucumber Holothuria glabberrima by describing the spatial and temporal pattern of cellular events that occur during intestine regeneration following chemically induced evisceration. Regeneration begins as a thickening of the mesenteries that supported the autotomized organs to the body wall. The mesenterial thickening consists of tissues where most of the cellular populations found in the normal intestine are already present. However, the cell numbers differ, particularly those of hemocytes and amoebocytes, suggesting that some of these cells play an important role in the formation of the solid rod of hypertrophic mesentery that characterizes the intestinal primordia. The appearance of the luminal epithelium, together with the formation of the lumen, occurs during the second week of regeneration by proliferation and extensive migration of cells from the esophagus and cloacal ends into the thickenings. At this stage all tissue layers are present, but it takes an additional week for them to exhibit the proportions typical of the normal organ. Cell division, as determined by BrdU labeling, mainly occurs in the coelomic epithelia of the hypertrophic mesentery and in the regenerating luminal epithelium. Our study provides evidence that the process of new organ formation in holothurians can be described as an intermediate process showing characteristics of both epimorphic and morphallactic phenomena.

Growth control mechanisms in normal and transformed intestinal cells

The cells populating the intestinal crypts are part of a dynamic tissue system which involves the self-renewal of stem cells, a commitment to proliferation, lineage-specific differentiation, movement and cell death. Our knowledge of these processes is limited, but even now there are important clues to the nature of the regulatory systems, and these clues are leading to a better understanding of intestinal cancers. Few intestinal-specific markers have been described; however, homeobox genes such as cdx-2 appear to be important for morphogenic events in the intestine. There are several intestinal cell surface proteins such as the A33 antigen which have been used as targets for immunotherapy. Many regulatory cytokines (lymphokines or growth factors) influence intestinal development: enteroglucagon, IL-2, FGF, EGF family members. In conjunction with cell-cell contact and/or ECM, these cytokines lead to specific differentiation signals. Although the tissue distribution of mitogens such as EGF, TGF alpha, amphiregulin, betacellulin, HB-EGF and cripto have been studied in detail, the physiological roles of these proteins have been difficult to determine. Clearly, these mitogens and the corresponding receptors are involved in the maintenance and progression of the tumorigenic state. The interactions between mitogenic, tumour suppressor and oncogenic systems are complex, but the tumorigenic effects of multiple lesions in intestinal carcinomas involve synergistic actions from lesions in these different systems. Together, the truncation of apc and activation of the ras oncogene are sufficient to induce colon tumorigenesis. If we are to improve cancer therapy, it is imperative that we discover the biological significance of these interactions, in particular the effects on cell division, movement and survival.

Analysis of DNA damage and repair accompanying differentiation in the intestinal crypt

The ability to process damaged DNA may vary between cells depending on their differentiated status. However, there is little in vivo data available and it is not intuitively obvious how the activity of specific repair pathways may vary between different subpopulations (e.g. stem cells and proliferative, committed and differentiated cells) of a particular tissue. To obtain such information for the intestinal epithelium, we have developed an assay that detects differences in the way different regions of the crypt (stem, proliferative and maturation zones) respond to DNA damage. The assay is a variant of the 'comet' assay, which detects DNA strand breaks by measuring the proportion of DNA migrating from individual cells, or in this case intact isolated crypts, in an electrophoretic field. The method is quantitative, with the amount of migrating DNA being proportional to the number of strand breaks. Isolated crypts are repair competent and spatial differences are apparent with some agents. The assay has the potential to characterize the repair properties of cells at different stages of differentiation within the crypt, determine the characteristics that might predispose them to damage and may help in understanding the route of stem cell mutation.

Cellular and molecular partners involved in gut morphogenesis and differentiation

The intestinal mucosa represents an interesting model to study the cellular and molecular basis of epithelial-mesenchymal cross-talk participating in the development and maintenance of the digestive function. This cross-talk involves extracellular matrix molecules, cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion molecules as well as paracrine factors and their receptors. The cellular and molecular unit is additionally regulated by hormonal, immune and neural inputs. Such integrated cell interactions are involved in pattern formation, in proximodistal regionalization, in maintenance of a gradient of epithelial proliferation and differentiation, and in epithelial cell migration. We focus predominantly on two aspects of these integrated interactions in this paper: (i) the role of basement membrane molecules, namely laminins, in the developmental and spatial epithelial behaviour; and (ii) the importance of the mesenchymal cell compartment in these processes.

Aspects of the biology of regeneration and repair in the human gastrointestinal tract

The main pathways of epithelial differentiation in the intestine, Paneth, mucous, endocrine and columnar cell lineages are well recognized. However, in abnormal circumstances, for example in mucosal ulceration, a cell lineage with features distinct from these emerges, which has often been dismissed in the past as 'pyloric' metaplasia, because of its morphological resemblance to the pyloric mucosa in the stomach. However, we can conclude that this cell lineage has a defined phenotype unique in gastrointestinal epithelia, has a histogenesis that resembles that of Brunner's glands, but acquires a proliferative organization similar to that of the gastric gland. It expresses several peptides of particular interest, including epidermal growth factor, the trefoil peptides TFF1, TFF2, TFF3, lysozyme and PSTI. The presence of this lineage also appears to cause altered gene expression in adjacent indigenous cell lineages. We propose that this cell lineage is induced in gastrointestinal stem cells as a result of chronic mucosal ulceration, and plays an important part in ulcer healing; it should therefore be added to the repertoire of gastrointestinal stem cells.

The intestinal epithelium and its neoplasms: genetic, cellular and tissue interactions

The Min (multiple intestinal neoplasia) strain of the laboratory mouse and its derivatives permit the fundamental study of factors that regulate the transition between normal and neoplastic growth. A gene of central importance in mediating these alternative patterns of growth is Apc, the mouse homologue of the human adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. When adenomas form in the Min mouse, both copies of the Apc gene must be inactivated. One copy is mutated by the nonsense Apc allele carried in heterozygous form in this strain. The other copy can be silenced by any of several mechanisms. These range from loss of the homologue bearing the wild-type Apc allele; to interstitial deletions surrounding the wild-type allele; to intragenic mutation, including nonsense alleles; and finally, to a reduction in expression of the locus, perhaps owing to mutation in a regulatory locus. Each of these proposed mechanisms may constitute a two-hit genetic process as initially posited by Knudson; however, apparently the two hits could involve either a single locus or two loci. The kinetic order for the transition to adenoma may be still higher than two, if polyclonal adenomas require stronger interactions than passive fusion. The severity of the intestinal neoplastic phenotype of the Min mouse is strongly dependent upon loci other than Apc. One of these, Mom1, has now been rigorously identified at the molecular level as encoding an active resistance conferred by a secretory phospholipase. Mom1 acts locally within a crypt lineage, not systemically. Within the crypt lineage, however, its action seems to be non-autonomous: when tumours arise in Mom1 heterozygotes, the active resistance allele is maintained in the tumour (MOH or maintenance of heterozygosity). Indeed, the secretory phospholipase is synthesized by post-mitotic Paneth cells, not by the proliferative cells that presumably generate the tumour. An analysis of autonomy of modifier gene action in chimeric mice deserves detailed attention both to the number of genetic factors for which an animal is chimeric and to the clonal structure of the tissue in question. Beyond Mom1, other loci can strongly modify the severity of the Min phenotype. An emergent challenge is to find ways to identify the full set of genes that interact with the intestinal cancer predisposition of the Min mouse strain. With such a set, one can then work, using contemporary mouse genetics, to identify the molecular, cellular and organismal strategies that integrate their functions. Finally, with appropriately phenotyped human families, one can investigate by a candidate approach which modifying factors influence the epidemiology of human colon cancer. Even if a candidate modifier does not explain any of the genetic epidemiology of colon cancer in human populations, modifier activities discovered by mouse genetics provide candidates for chemopreventive and/or therapeutic modalities in the human.

Phospholipase A2 relieves phosphatidylcholine inhibition of micellar cholesterol absorption and transport by human intestinal cell line Caco-2

Cholesterol absorption from bile acid micelles is suppressed by phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the micelles. The effects of micellar phospholipid composition on absorption, metabolism, and secretion of lipids were examined in Caco-2 cells incubated with micelles composed of taurocholic acid, cholesterol, oleic acid, monooleoylglycerol, and phospholipid. Significant amounts of all micelle lipids were absorbed from micelles lacking phospholipid. Cholesterol absorption was accompanied by cholesterol esterification and secretion. Micellar oleic acid was also absorbed and reesterified primarily into triacylglycerol which was also secreted. Lipid absorption and secretion from micelles containing lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) were similar to that obtained with phospholipid-free micelles. LPC was also extensively absorbed. In contrast, incubations with PC-containing micelles resulted in large reductions in the absorption, esterification, and secretion of cholesterol without significant decreases in oleic acid absorption, conversion to acylated lipids, or triacylglycerol secretion. A relatively small reduction in monoacylglycerol absorption from PC-containing micelles was detected. Retinol absorption was not affected by micellar PC. Substitution of LPC for half or more of the PC reversed the PC-dependent decrease in cholesterol absorption. Pancreatic phospholipase A2 (pPLA2) enhanced cholesterol absorption from PC-containing micelles. The pPLA2-dependent increase in cholesterol absorption was inhibited by the pPLA2 inhibitor FPL 67047XX. The results indicate micellized cholesterol absorption by enterocytes is uniquely dependent on the elimination of micellar phosphatidylcholine and thus directly dependent on the lipolytic action of pancreatic phospholipase A2 (pPLA2). Consequently, pPLA2 inhibitors may be a new and novel class of cholesterol absorption inhibitors for therapeutic use.

Intestinal epithelial hyperpermeability. Mechanisms and relevance to disease

Pathologic increases in intestinal permeability to hydrophilic macromolecules has been identified in a number of clinical conditions. The significance of gut barrier dysfunction as a clinical issue remains to be delineated, although it seems likely that alterations in intestinal epithelial permeability play a causative role in a number of conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to the development of complications after cardiopulmonary bypass. It is unlikely that any one mechanism can account for all cases of intestinal hyperpermeability. Rather, it is more probable that myriad factors or combinations of factors, including mesenteric ischemia and cytokine-induced phenomena, lead to alterations in permeability in different clinical entities. Nevertheless, from a purely mechanistic standpoint, some common themes, notably the role of ATP depletion, increases in [Ca2+]i, and cytoskeletal derangements in enterocytes, have emerged as being particularly important.

Effect of transmucosal fluid movement on zinc and copper absorption from the rat small intestine

1. The effects of transmucosal fluid movement on zinc and copper absorption from rat small intestine were investigated using an in situ recirculating perfusion method. 2. Transmucosal fluid movement was obtained by using hypo-, iso- or hyperosmotic perfusate containing various concentrations of sodium chloride. Linear correlations were obtained between net fluid movement and absorption rate constants, which were calculated from the perfusion decline of zinc (n = 15; r = 0.77) and copper (n = 15; r = 0.75). 3. The changes in serum levels of these metals did not correlate with the increase in the absorption rate. 4. The present study indicates that zinc and copper absorption is dependent on transmucosal fluid movement.

Overexpression of pp60c-src elicits invasive behavior in rat colon epithelial cells

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Src activation is reported as an early event found in preneoplastic colonic adenomas and in 70% of colon carcinomas. The aim of this study was to identify the biological consequences of c-src overexpression in rat colon epithelial cells.

METHODS

Introduction and overexpression of c-src in an immortalized rat colon epithelial cell line was achieved using lipofection. Transfectants were tested for changes in growth and cell behavior using different in vitro assay systems.

RESULTS

Colon epithelial cells overexpressing c-src showed the ability to form microcolonies in soft agar without acquiring tumorigenic potential. In in vitro assays, c-src transfectants displayed a gain of invasive potential through Matrigel without an accompanying change in migrational ability. No discernible qualitative changes were observed in the phosphotyrosyl protein profile between c-src and v-src transfectants. Assessment of the cadherin/catenin status in these cells revealed an intact, functional complex with no detectable tyrosine phosphorylation of different components of the complex.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of c-src in an immortalized rat colon epithelial cell line does not elicit full neoplastic transformation but enhances anchorage-independent growth and confers invasion capability. Increased invasion through Matrigel was not linked to inactivation of the cadherin complex in c-src transfectants.

Role of the large intestine in the pathogenesis of diarrhea in weaned pigs

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the large intestine may have a role in counterbalancing the loss of fluid from the small intestine of pigs with diarrhea.

ANIMALS

2 groups of pigs (1 from a specific-pathogen-free herd and 1 from a herd with a history of diarrhea).

PROCEDURE

At weaning and 4, 7, 11, and 14 days after weaning, the percentage of dry matter in the large intestinal contents, total and individual concentrations and volatile fatty acids in large-intestinal contents and blood, and concentration of aldosterone in the blood were measured.

RESULTS

Large intestinal contents of pigs with diarrhea had a lower percentage of dry matter, lower acetate and butyrate concentrations, and higher propionate concentrations than did those of specific-pathogen-free pigs, and blood of pigs with diarrhea also had lower total volatile fatty acids concentration, higher aldosterone concentration, and lower sodium concentration.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The large intestine has a role in the pathogenesis of diarrhea in weaned pigs.

Ganglioside structure dictates signal transduction by cholera toxin and association with caveolae-like membrane domains in polarized epithelia

In polarized cells, signal transduction by cholera toxin (CT) requires apical endocytosis and retrograde transport into Golgi cisternae and perhaps ER (Lencer, W.I., C. Constable, S. Moe, M. Jobling, H.M. Webb, S. Ruston, J.L. Madara, T. Hirst, and R. Holmes. 1995. J. Cell Biol. 131:951-962). In this study, we tested whether CT's apical membrane receptor ganglioside GM1 acts specifically in toxin action. To do so, we used CT and the related Escherichia coli heat-labile type II enterotoxin LTIIb. CT and LTIIb distinguish between gangliosides GM1 and GD1a at the cell surface by virtue of their dissimilar receptor-binding B subunits. The enzymatically active A subunits, however, are homologous. While both toxins bound specifically to human intestinal T84 cells (Kd approximately 5 nM), only CT elicited a cAMP-dependent Cl- secretory response. LTIIb, however, was more potent than CT in eliciting a cAMP-dependent response from mouse Y1 adrenal cells (toxic dose 10 vs. 300 pg/well). In T84 cells, CT fractionated with caveolae-like detergent-insoluble membranes, but LTIIb did not. To investigate further the relationship between the specificity of ganglioside binding and partitioning into detergent-insoluble membranes and signal transduction, CT and LTIIb chimeric toxins were prepared. Analysis of these chimeric toxins confirmed that toxin-induced signal transduction depended critically on the specificity of ganglioside structure. The mechanism(s) by which ganglioside GM1 functions in signal transduction likely depends on coupling CT with caveolae or caveolae-related membrane domains.

Filipin-dependent inhibition of cholera toxin: evidence for toxin internalization and activation through caveolae-like domains

The mechanism by which cholera toxin (CT) is internalized from the plasma membrane before its intracellular reduction and subsequent activation of adenylyl cyclase is not well understood. Ganglioside GM1, the receptor for CT, is predominantly clustered in detergent-insoluble glycolipid rafts and in caveolae, noncoated, cholesterol-rich invaginations on the plasma membrane. In this study, we used filipin, a sterol-binding agent that disrupts caveolae and caveolae-like structures, to explore their role in the internalization and activation of CT in CaCo-2 human intestinal epithelial cells. When toxin internalization was quantified, only 33% of surface-bound toxin was internalized by filipin-treated cells within 1 h compared with 79% in untreated cells. However, CT activation as determined by its reduction to form the A1 peptide and CT activity as measured by cyclic AMP accumulation were inhibited in filipin-treated cells. Another sterol-binding agent, 2-hydroxy-beta-cyclodextrin, gave comparable results. The cationic amphiphilic drug chlorpromazine, an inhibitor of clathrin-dependent, receptor-mediated endocytosis, however, affected neither CT internalization, activation, nor activity in contrast to its inhibitory effects on diphtheria toxin cytotoxicity. As filipin did not inhibit the latter, the two drugs appeared to distinguish between caveolae- and coated pit-mediated processes. In addition to its effects in CaCo-2 cells that express low levels of caveolin, filipin also inhibited CT activity in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 and Jurkat T lymphoma cells that are, respectively, rich in or lack caveolin. Thus, filipin inhibition correlated more closely with alterations in the biochemical characteristics of CT-bound membranes due to the interactions of filipin with cholesterol rather than with the expressed levels of caveolin and caveolar structure. Our results indicated that the internalization and activation of CT was dependent on and mediated through cholesterol- and glycolipid-rich microdomains at the plasma membrane rather than through a specific morphological structure and that these glycolipid microdomains have the necessary components required to mediate endocytosis.

Inhibition of a K+ conductance by the phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A in rat distal colon

Basal membrane permeability of epithelial cells from the lower third and the middle of rat colonic crypts is dominated by a K+ conductance as shown by ion replacement experiments. Calyculin A, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases, induced a depolarization of these cells. The depolarization was concomitant with an inhibition of membrane current. The current inhibited by calyculin A had a reversal potential identical with the theoretical K+ equilibrium potential indicating that the drug inhibits a basal K+ conductance. The efficiency of calyculin A was comparable with that of other well-known K+ channel blockers such as Ba2+, tetraethylammonium or quinine. In the intact tissue, calyculin A exerted an inhibitory action on forskolin-induced anion secretion, an effect which may be explained by the decrease in the driving force for Cl- exit after inhibition of cellular K+ conductance. Together with previous results, these data suggest an inhibition of epithelial K+ conductance by phosphorylation.

Effects of forced expression of an NH2-terminal truncated beta-Catenin on mouse intestinal epithelial homeostasis

beta-Catenin functions as a downstream component of the Wnt/Wingless signal transduction pathway and as an effector of cell-cell adhesion through its association with cadherins. To explore the in vivo effects of beta-catenin on proliferation, cell fate specification, adhesion, and migration in a mammalian epithelium, a human NH2-terminal truncation mutant (DeltaN89 beta-catenin) was expressed in the 129/Sv embryonic stem cell-derived component of the small intestine of adult C57Bl/6-ROSA26 left and right arrow 129/Sv chimeric mice. DeltaN89 beta-Catenin was chosen because mutants of this type are more stable than the wild-type protein, and phenocopy activation of the Wnt/Wingless signaling pathway in Xenopus and Drosophila. DeltaN89 beta-Catenin had several effects. Cell division was stimulated fourfold in undifferentiated cells located in the proliferative compartment of the intestine (crypts of Lieberkühn). The proliferative response was not associated with any discernible changes in cell fate specification but was accompanied by a three- to fourfold increase in crypt apoptosis. There was a marked augmentation of E-cadherin at the adherens junctions and basolateral surfaces of 129/Sv (DeltaN89 beta-catenin) intestinal epithelial cells and an accompanying slowing of cellular migration along crypt-villus units. 1-2% of 129/Sv (DeltaN89 beta-catenin) villi exhibited an abnormal branched architecture. Forced expression of DeltaN89 beta-catenin expression did not perturb the level or intracellular distribution of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). The ability of DeltaN89 beta-catenin to interact with normal cellular pools of APC and/or augmented pools of E-cadherin may have helped prevent the 129/Sv gut epithelium from undergoing neoplastic transformation during the 10-mo period that animals were studied. Together, these in vivo studies emphasize the importance of beta-catenin in regulating normal adhesive and signaling functions within this epithelium.

Distinct effects of tetragastrin in rat gastroduodenal mucosa on mucin content and mucosal protective action against histamine-induced injury

We examined the effects of tetragastrin on mucin (mucus glycoprotein) content and mucosal damage in the rat stomach and duodenum. Following an injection of tetragastrin (12, 120, or 400 microg/kg subcutaneously), no macroscopic damage was found to the gastric mucosa but an increase in corpus mucin content was noted, whereas mucosal lesions appeared and the mucin content decreased in the duodenum in a dose-related manner. In the groups with histamine (0.8, 8, or 80 mg/kg intraperitoneally) administration, the extent of mucosal damage and the decrease in mucin content were dose-related in both these regions. For assessment of the effect of tetragastrin on the protective action in gastroduodenal mucosa, changes in mucin content and mucosal damage with histamine (80 mg/kg) -induced injury were examined. Coadministration of tetragastrin prevented the gastric mucosal damage and inhibited the decrease in corpus mucin content. In the duodenum, tetragastrin aggravated the histamine-induced mucosal damage and did not inhibit the reduction of the mucin content. From the present results, the increase in gastric mucins induced by tetragastrin might be related to the protective effect of gastric mucosa against injury. Tetragastrin did not protect the duodenal mucosa, and histamine-induced injury occurring in this region would be aggravated by the increase in HCl secretion and the decrease in mucin content induced by tetragastrin.

Diet restriction increases apoptosis in the gut of aging rats

Previous studies have shown that epithelial cell production rates are increased throughout the gastrointestinal tract in aging rats. We tested the hypothesis that alteration in cell death (apoptosis) might be involved. Fischer 344 rats aged 4-5 months and 24-25 months fed ad libitum (AL) or calorie restricted (CR) to 60% of the AL intake were studied. Epithelial cell apoptosis was determined by a terminal deoxyuridine nucleotidyl nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique validated in our laboratory, and the expression of four members of the Bcl-2 family was evaluated by Western blotting in the small intestine and colon. The apoptotic index was low in young and aging AL and young CR rats. However, CR in aging rats was associated with a significantly higher apoptotic index in the jejunum and colon. The expression of the Bcl-2 family of genes was unchanged. Enhanced apoptosis in CR may protect the gastrointestinal tract from accumulation of DNA-altered cells during the aging process.