Teduglutide Promotes Epithelial Tight Junction Pore Function in Murine Short Bowel Syndrome to Alleviate Intestinal Insufficiency

BACKGROUND

In short bowel syndrome, epithelial surface loss results in impaired nutrient absorption and may lead to intestinal insufficiency or intestinal failure. Nucleotide oligomerization domain 2 (Nod2) dysfunction predisposes to the development of intestinal failure after intestinal resection and is associated with intestinal barrier defects. Epithelial barrier function is crucial for intestinal absorption and for intestinal adaptation in the short bowel situation.

AIMS

The aim of the study was to characterize the effects of the GLP-2 analogue Teduglutide in the small intestine in the presence and absence of Nod2 in a mouse model of short bowel syndrome.

METHODS

Mice underwent 40% ICR and were thereafter treated with Teduglutide versus vehicle injections. Survival, body weight, stool water, and sodium content and plasma aldosterone concentrations were determined. Intestinal and kidney tissue was examined with light and fluorescence microscopy, Ussing chamber studies and quantitative PCR in wild type and transgenic mice.

RESULTS

Teduglutide reduced intestinal failure incidence in Nod2 k.o. mice. In wt mice, Teduglutide attenuated intestinal insufficiency as indicated by reduced body weight loss and lower plasma aldosterone concentrations, lower stool water content, and lower stool sodium losses. Teduglutide treatment was associated with enhanced epithelial paracellular pore function and enhanced claudin-10 expression in tight junctions in the villus tips, where it colocalized with sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT-1), which mediates Na-coupled glucose transport.

CONCLUSIONS

In the SBS situation, Teduglutide not only maximizes small intestinal mucosal hypertrophy but also partially restores small intestinal epithelial function through an altered distribution of claudin-10, facilitating sodium recirculation for Na-coupled glucose transport and water absorption.

Nod2 deficiency functionally impairs adaptation to short bowel syndrome via alterations of the epithelial barrier function

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) gene mutations are a risk factor for Crohn's disease and also associated with worse outcome in short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients independent of the underlying disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of Nod2 deficiency on barrier function and stool microbiome after extensive ileocecal resection in mice. Male C57BL6/J wild-type (WT) and Nod2-knockout (KO) mice underwent 40% ileocecal resection. Sham control mice received simple transection of the ileum. Clinical outcome was monitored daily. Barrier function was measured with Ussing chambers using FITC-4-kDa-Dextran flux, transmucosal electrical resistance, and dilution potentials. Immunofluorescence of claudin-2 was studied. Composition of the stool microbiome was assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Resected Nod2-KO mice had impaired clinical outcome compared with resected WT mice. This was accompanied by increased stool water contents and increased plasma aldosterone. Histomorphological adaptation was independent of Nod2. Barrier function studies revealed impaired sodium to chloride permeability and altered claudin-2 localization in the absence of Nod2. Resection induced decreases of bacterial diversity and a shift of bacteriodetes-to-firmicutes ratios. Ileum and cecum resection-induced increase in proteobacteria was absent in Nod2-deficient mice. Verrucomicrobia were temporarily increased in Nod2-KO mice. Nod2 deficiency functionally impairs adaptation to short bowel syndrome via a lesser increase of epithelial sodium pore permeability, altered epithelial barrier function, and the microbiome.NEW & NOTEWORTHYNOD2 gene mutations are associated with the development of severe short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure. The influence of Nod2 mutations on intestinal adaptation in experimental short bowel syndrome has not been studied yet. Here, we provide data that Nod2 deficiency worsens clinical outcome and functional adaptation under SBS conditions in mice, indicating that NOD2 is required for successful adaptation after ileocecal resection.

Villus Growth, Increased Intestinal Epithelial Sodium Selectivity, and Hyperaldosteronism Are Mechanisms of Adaptation in a Murine Model of Short Bowel Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Short bowel syndrome results from extensive small bowel resection and induces adaptation of the remaining intestine. Ileocecal resection (ICR) is the most frequent situation in humans. Villus hypertrophy is one hallmark of mucosal adaptation, but the functional mechanisms of mucosal adaptation are incompletely understood.

AIMS

The aim of the study was to characterize a clinically relevant model of short bowel syndrome but not intestinal failure in mice and to identify outcome predictors and mechanisms of adaptation.

METHODS

Male C57BL6/J mice underwent 40% ICR and were followed for 7 or 14 days. Small bowel transection served as control. All mice underwent autopsy. Survival, body weight, wellness score, stool water content, plasma aldosterone concentrations, and paracellular permeability were recorded.

RESULTS

Unlike controls, resected mice developed significant diarrhea with increased stool water. This was accompanied by sustained weight loss throughout follow-up. Villus length increased but did not correlate positively with adaptation. Plasma aldosterone concentrations correlated inversely with body weight at day 14. After ICR, intestinal epithelial (i.e., tight junctional) sodium permeability was increased.

CONCLUSIONS

40% ICR results in moderate to severe short bowel syndrome. Successful adaptation to the short bowel situation involves villus elongation but does not correlate with the degree of villus elongation alone. In addition, increased intestinal epithelial sodium permeability facilitates sodium-coupled solute transport. Hyperaldosteronism correlates with the severity of weight loss, indicates volume depletion, and counterregulates water loss.