The Involvement of Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Glycyrol Relieves Ulcerative Colitis by Promoting the Fusion of ZO-1 with the Cell Membrane through the Enteric Glial Cells GDNF/RET Pathway

The damage to the mechanical barrier of the intestinal mucosa is the initiating factor and the core link of the progression of ulcerative colitis (UC). Protecting the mechanical barrier of the intestinal mucosa is of great significance for improving the health status of UC patients. ZO-1 is a key scaffold protein of the mechanical barrier of the intestinal mucosa, and its fusion with the membrane of the intestinal epithelium is a necessary condition to maintain the integrity of the mechanical barrier of the intestinal mucosa. Enteric glial cells (EGCs) play an important role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and have become a new target for regulating intestinal health in recent years. In this study, we found that glycyrol (GC), a representative coumarin compound isolated from Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, used for medicine and food), can alleviate UC by promoting the production of neurotrophic factor GDNF in mice EGCs. Specifically, we demonstrated that GC promotes the production of GDNF, then activates its receptor RET, promotes ZO-1 fusion with cell membranes, and protects the intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier. The results of this study can provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of UC.

Exploring Causal Relationships between Circulating Inflammatory Proteins and Thromboangiitis Obliterans: A Mendelian Randomization Study

BACKGROUND

 Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a vascular condition characterized by poor prognosis and an unclear etiology. This study employs Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal impact of circulating inflammatory proteins on TAO.

METHODS

 In this MR analysis, summary statistics from a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 91 inflammation-related proteins were integrated with independently sourced TAO data from the FinnGen consortium's R10 release. Methods such as inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger regression, weighted median approaches, MR-PRESSO, and multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis were utilized.

RESULTS

 The analysis indicated an association between higher levels of C-C motif chemokine 4 and a reduced risk of TAO, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.44 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29-0.67; p = 1.4 × 10-4; adjusted p = 0.013). Similarly, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor exhibited a suggestively protective effect against TAO (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.22-0.81; p = 0.010; adjusted p = 0.218). Conversely, higher levels of C-C motif chemokine 23 were suggestively linked to an increased risk of TAO (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.21-2.93; p = 0.005; adjusted p = 0.218). The sensitivity analysis and MVMR revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy.

CONCLUSION

 This study identifies C-C motif chemokine 4 and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor as potential protective biomarkers for TAO, whereas C-C motif chemokine 23 emerges as a suggestive risk marker. These findings elucidate potential causal relationships and highlight the significance of these proteins in the pathogenesis and prospective therapeutic strategies for TAO.

From Gut to Brain: Uncovering Potential Serum Biomarkers Connecting Inflammatory Bowel Diseases to Neurodegenerative Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation due to abnormal immune responses to gut microflora. The gut-brain axis is disrupted in IBDs, leading to neurobiological imbalances and affective symptoms. Systemic inflammation in IBDs affects the brain's inflammatory response system, hormonal axis, and blood-brain barrier integrity, influencing the gut microbiota. This review aims to explore the association between dysregulations in the gut-brain axis, serum biomarkers, and the development of cognitive disorders. Studies suggest a potential association between IBDs and the development of neurodegeneration. The mechanisms include systemic inflammation, nutritional deficiency, GBA dysfunction, and the effect of genetics and comorbidities. The objective is to identify potential correlations and propose future research directions to understand the impact of altered microbiomes and intestinal barrier functions on neurodegeneration. Serum levels of vitamins, inflammatory and neuronal damage biomarkers, and neuronal growth factors have been investigated for their potential to predict the development of neurodegenerative diseases, but current results are inconclusive and require more studies.

Expression levels and diagnostic value of serum GDNF, CEA and CA199 in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Background

To investigate the expression levels and diagnostic value of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen199 (CA199) in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

Methods

50 CRC patients at our hospital from Feb. 2020 to Feb. 2021 were chosen as the malignant group, another 50 patients with benign colonic diseases were chosen as the benign group, and 50 healthy people who came to our hospital for physical examination during the same period were considered as the control group. Fasting peripheral venous blood was taken from all research subjects in the morning and tested by a fully-automated electrochemiluminometer to determine the GDNF, CEA and CA199 levels. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of the three indexes for CRC were analyzed, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to record the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

The malignant group had remarkably higher CEA and CA199 levels (P<0.001) and a lower GDNF level (P<0.001) when compared with the benign and control groups. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the combined detection were 96.0%, 94.0%, 88.9% and 97.9%, respectively. Under combined detection, AUC (95% CI) = 0.950 (0.909-0.991), standard error = 0.021, and P<0.001.

Conclusions

The combined diagnosis of serum GDNF, CEA and CA199 is a reliable method to improve the diagnostic accuracy of CRC, and this strategy can effectively reduce the missed diagnosis rate and has high application value in clinic.

Potential roles of enteric glial cells in Crohn's disease: A critical review

Enteric glial cells in the enteric nervous system are critical for the regulation of gastrointestinal homeostasis. Increasing evidence suggests two-way communication between enteric glial cells and both enteric neurons and immune cells. These interactions may be important in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), a chronic relapsing disease characterized by a dysregulated immune response. Structural abnormalities in glial cells have been identified in CD. Furthermore, classical inflammatory pathways associated with CD (e.g., the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway) function in enteric glial cells. However, the specific mechanisms by which enteric glial cells contribute to CD have not been summarized in detail. In this review, we describe the possible roles of enteric glial cells in the pathogenesis of CD, including the roles of glia-immune interactions, neuronal modulation, neural plasticity, and barrier integrity. Additionally, the implications for the development of therapeutic strategies for CD based on enteric glial cell-mediated pathogenic processes are discussed.

Gene Ontology Analysis Highlights Biological Processes Influencing Responsiveness to Biological Therapy in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated and inflammatory skin disease. Although various biological drugs are available for psoriasis treatment, some patients have poor responses or do not respond to treatment. The aim of the present study was to highlight the molecular mechanism of responsiveness to current biological drugs for psoriasis treatment. To this end, we reviewed previously published articles that reported genes associated with treatment response to biological drugs in psoriasis, and gene ontology analysis was subsequently performed using the Cytoscape platform. Herein, we revealed a statistically significant association between NF-kappaB signaling (p value = 3.37 × 10-9), regulation of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor production (p value = 6.20 × 10-6), glial cell proliferation (p value = 2.41 × 10-5) and treatment response in psoriatic patients. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to directly associate glial cells with treatment response. Taken together, our study revealed gene ontology (GO) terms, some of which were previously shown to be implicated in the molecular pathway of psoriasis, as novel GO terms involved in responsiveness in psoriatic disease patients.

Mini-Review: Enteric glial regulation of the gastrointestinal epithelium

Many enteric glia are located along nerve fibers in the gut mucosa where they form close associations with the epithelium lining the gastrointestinal tract. The gut epithelium is essential for absorbing nutrients, regulating fluid flux, forming a physical barrier to prevent the entry of pathogens and toxins into the host, and participating in immune responses. Disruptions to this epithelium are linked to numerous diseases, highlighting its central importance in maintaining health. Accumulating evidence indicates that glia regulate gut epithelial homeostasis. Observations from glial-epithelial co-cultures in vitro and mouse genetic models in vivo suggest that enteric glia influence several important features of the gut epithelium including barrier integrity, ion transport, and capacity for self-renewal. Here we review the evidence for enteric glial regulation of the intestinal epithelium, with a focus on these three features of its biology.