Exogenous acid fibroblast growth factor inhibits ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage in intestinal epithelium via regulating P53 and P21WAF-1 expression

Fibroblast Growth Factors in the Gastrointestinal Tract: Twists and Turns

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of conserved peptides that play an important role in the development, homeostasis, and repair processes of many organ systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. All four FGF receptors and several FGF ligands are present in the intestine. They play important roles in controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, epithelial cell restitution, and stem cell maintenance. Several FGFs have also been proven to be protective against gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases or to aid in regeneration after intestinal loss associated with short bowel syndrome. Herein, we review the multifaceted actions of canonical FGFs in intestinal development, homeostasis, and repair in rodents and humans. Developmental Dynamics 246:344-352, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Non-mitogenic form of acidic fibroblast growth factor protects against graft-versus-host disease without accelerating leukemia

Acid fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) has been shown to prevent epithelial damage under various conditions, suggesting its potential to inhibit GVHD. However, because aFGF receptors are expressed on tumor cells, it may possibly offset the graft-vs.-tumor (GVT) effects of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT). Here, we addressed these questions in a B6→B6D2F1 allo-BMT model. Although aFGF administration attenuated GVHD in non-leukemic recipients, aFGF treatment markedly accelerated death in mice that received recipient-type tumor (P815) cells along with allo- or syngeneic-BMT. Similar protection against GVHD was achieved by administration of a non-mitogenic form of aFGF (naFGF). Importantly, GVT effects were fully preserved in naFGF-treated recipients. Furthermore, aFGF, but not naFGF, significantly enhanced P815 cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Our data indicate that the tumor-promoting, but not GVHD-protecting, effect of aFGF largely depends on its mitogenic activity, and suggest that naFGF may provide a safer approach to inhibiting GVHD in patients with malignancies.

Cell-penetrating peptide TAT-mediated delivery of acidic FGF to retina and protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

The development of non-invasive ocular drug delivery systems is of practical importance in the treatment of retinal disease. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of transactivator of transcription protein transduction domain (TAT-PTD, TAT(49-57)) as a vehicle to deliver acidic FGF (aFGF) to retina in rats. TAT-conjugated aFGF-His (TAT-aFGF-His) exhibited efficient penetration into the retina following topical administration to the ocular surface. Immunochemical staining with anti-His revealed that TAT-aFGF-His proteins were readily found in the retina (mainly in the ganglion cell layer) at 30 min. and remained detectable for at least 8 hrs after administration. In contrast, His(+) proteins were undetectable in the retina after topical administration of aFGF-His, indicating that aFGF-His cannot penetrate the ocular barrier. Furthermore, TAT-aFGF-His, but not aFGF-His, mediated significant protection against retinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. After IR injury, retina from TAT-aFGF-His-treated rats showed better-maintained inner retinal layer structure, reduced apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells and improved retinal function compared to those treated with aFGF-His or PBS. These results indicate that conjugation of TAT to aFGF-His can markedly improve the ability of aFGF-His to penetrate the ocular barrier without impairing its biological function. Thus, TAT(49-57) provides a potential vehicle for efficient drug delivery in the treatment of retinal disease.