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Intestinal ischemia underlies several clinical conditions and can result in the loss of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Ischemia‐induced damage to the intestinal epithelium is repaired by stimulation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs), and paracrine signaling from the vascular niche regulates intestinal regeneration. Here, we identify FOXC1 and FOXC2 as essential regulators of paracrine signaling in intestinal regeneration after ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Vascular endothelial cell (EC)‐ and lymphatic EC (LEC)‐specific deletions of Foxc1, Foxc2, or both in mice worsen I/R‐induced intestinal damage by causing defects in vascular regrowth, expression of chemokine CXCL12 and Wnt activator R‐spondin 3 (RSPO3) in blood ECs (BECs) and LECs, respectively, and activation of Wnt signaling in ISCs. Both FOXC1 and FOXC2 directly bind to regulatory elements of the CXCL12 and RSPO3 loci in BECs and LECs, respectively. Treatment with CXCL12 and RSPO3 rescues the I/R‐induced intestinal damage in EC‐ and LEC‐Foxc mutant mice, respectively. This study provides evidence that FOXC1 and FOXC2 are required for intestinal regeneration by stimulating paracrine CXCL12 and Wnt signaling. Synopsis: The transcriptional activity of FOXC1 and FOXC2 in lymphatic and blood endothelial cells in the small intestine contributes to vascular repair and intestinal regeneration after ischemia‐reperfusion injury by regulating CXCL12 and R‐spondin3 signalling, respectively. Both FOXC1 and FOXC2 directly regulate the expression of RSPO3 and CXCL12 in the lymphatic/blood vessels near the crypts, respectively.After ischemia‐reperfusion injury, RSPO3 secreted by LECs stimulates the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway and promotes intestinal epithelial regeneration and repair. LEC‐derived RSPO3 also promotes angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.After ischemia‐reperfusion injury, BEC‐derived CXCL12 not only regulates angiogenesis but also stimulates CXCR4 expressed on LECs to enhance lymphangiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding modes influence the gut microbiome, immune system, and intestinal barrier homeostasis in neonates; how feeding modes impact susceptibility to neonatal gastrointestinal (GI) diseases is still uncertain. Here, we investigated the impact of dam feeding (DF) and formula feeding (FF) on features of the gut microbiome and physiological inflammation during the first 2 days of postnatal development and on the susceptibility to intestinal injury related to the inflammatory state in neonatal mouse pups. 16S rRNA sequencing data revealed microbiome changes, lower α-diversity, and a distinct pattern of β-diversity including expansion of f_Enterobacteriaceae and f_Enterococcaceae in the ileum of FF pups compared with DF pups by postnatal day (P)2. Together with gut dysbiosis, the FF cohort also had greater ileal mucosa physiological inflammatory activity compared with DF pups by P2 but maintained normal histological features. Interestingly, FF but not DF mouse pups developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-like intestinal injury within 24 h after anti-CD3 mAb treatment, suggesting that FF influences the susceptibility to intestinal injury in neonates. We further found that NEC-like incidence in anti-CD3 mAb-treated FF neonatal pups was attenuated by antibiotic treatment. Collectively, our data suggest that FF predisposes mouse pups to anti-CD3 mAb-induced intestinal injury due to abnormal f_Enterobacteriaceae and f_Enterococcaceae colonization. These findings advance our understanding of FFassociated microbial colonization and intestinal inflammation, which may help inform the development of new therapeutic approaches to GI diseases like NEC in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), an endogenous proinflammatory phospholipid, when injected intravascularly to rats and mice, causes shock, acute bowel injury, and a rapid activation of NF-[kappa]B p50-p50 with upregulation of the chemokine CXCL2 in the intestine. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of NF-[kappa]B activation and the role of the NF-[kappa]B p50 subunit in PAF-induced shock and acute bowel injury. NF-[kappa]B p50-deficient mice and wild-type mice were anesthetized and tracheotomized, and their carotid artery was cannulated for blood pressure monitoring, blood sampling, and PAF administration. For determination of bowel injury, shock, and survival, PAF (2.2 [micro]g/kg, intra-arterially, i.a.) was injected. Two hours later, animals were euthanized, and their small intestines were removed for histological examination. For biochemical studies, PAF (1.5 [micro]g/kg i.a.) was administered and the small intestine removed after 15-60 min. We found that PAF induced an increase in p105 processing within 30 min, but there were no changes in the levels of the NF-[kappa]B inhibitory proteins I[kappa]B[alpha] and [beta]. NF-[kappa]B p50-deficient mice were protected against PAF-induced mortality, shock, intestinal hypoperfusion, and injury compared with wild-type animals. We also found that p50-deficient mice had decreased gene expression of CXCL2 and TNF and a decrease in CXCL2 protein production compared with wild-type mice. Our study suggests that PAF increases the processing of NF-[kappa]B p105 into p50, with upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, which leads to PAF-induced systemic inflammatory response and acute bowel injury. intestine; necrotizing enterocolitis

Han, Xin-Bing, Xueli Liu, Wei Hsueh, and Isabelle G. De Plaen. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 mediates the bowel injury induced by platelet-activating factor. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 287: G1220-G1226, 2004. First published August 19, 2004; doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00231.2004.--Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent endogenous mediator of bowel inflammation. It activates neutrophils that are needed to initiate the inflammatory response. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), a critical C-X-C chemokine secreted by macrophages and epithelial cells, is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils. Whereas MIP-2 has been previously shown to mediate the injury in various organs, its role in acute intestinal injury has never been assessed. In this study, we first investigated the effect of PAF on MIP-2 expression in the intestine. Anesthetized young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenously with either PAF (1.5 [micro]g/kg) or saline. Sixty minutes later, ileal MIP-2 gene expression was determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR, and plasma and ileal MIP-2 protein was determined by ELISA. In a second step, we assessed the role of MIP-2 in PAF-induced bowel injury. Rats were pretreated with rabbit anti-rat MIP-2 antibodies or control IgG for 90 min and then injected intravenously with PAF (2.5 [micro]/kg) for 90 min. We found that, in the rat intestine, 1) MIP-2 mRNA was only minimally expressed constitutively in sham-operated animals; 2) MIP-2 mRNA was significantly upregulated in response to PAF; 3) MIP-2 protein plasma levels and local production of MIP-2 in the ileum were markedly induced by PAF; 4) the administration of anti-rat MIP-2 IgG, but not control rabbit IgG, markedly reduced PAF-induced bowel injury (injury scores of 0.19 [+ or -] 0.09 vs. 1.12 [+ or -] 0.43, P < 0.05), hypotension, and leukopenia but did not reduce PAF-induced hemoconcentration. Thus we conclude that MIP-2 mediates PAF-induced intestinal injury. chemokines; polynuclear neutrophils

Infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a disease that involves significant lung tissue damage. How SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to lung injury remains elusive. The open reading frame 8 (ORF8) protein of SARS-CoV-2 (ORF8SARS-CoV-2) is a unique accessory protein, yet little is known about its cellular function. We examined the cellular distribution of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 and its role in the regulation of human lung epithelial cell proliferation and antiviral immunity. Using live imaging and immunofluorescent staining analyses, we found that ectopically expressed ORF8SARS-CoV-2 forms aggregates in the cytosol and nuclear compartments of lung epithelial cells. Using in silico bioinformatic analysis, we found that ORF8SARS-CoV-2 possesses an intrinsic aggregation characteristic at its N-terminal residues 1-18. Cell culture did not reveal any effects of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 expression on lung epithelial cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, suggesting that ORF8SARS-CoV-2 aggregates do not affect these cellular processes. Interestingly, ectopic expression of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 in lung epithelial cells suppressed basal expression of several antiviral molecules, including DHX58, ZBP1, MX1, and MX2. In addition, expression of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 attenuated the induction of antiviral molecules by IFNγ but not by IFNβ in lung epithelial cells. Taken together, ORF8SARS-CoV-2 is a unique viral accessory protein that forms aggregates when expressing in lung epithelial cells. It potently inhibits the expression of lung cellular anti-viral proteins at baseline and in response to IFNγ in lung epithelial cells, which may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 escape from the host antiviral innate immune response during early viral infection. In addition, it seems that formation of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 aggregate is independent from the viral infection. Thus, it would be interesting to examine whether any COVID-19 patients exhibit persistent ORF8 SARS-CoV-2 expression after recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. If so, the pathogenic effect of prolonged ORF8SARS-CoV-2 expression and its association with post-COVID symptoms warrant investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin 6 (Sirt6) is predominantly expressed in epithelial cells in intestinal crypts. It plays an important role in protecting intestinal epithelial cells against inflammatory injury. Previously, we found that colitis is associated with the downregulation of Sirt6 protein in the intestines. Here, we report that murine interferon-γ (Ifnγ) inhibits Sirt6 protein but not mRNA expression in young adult mouse colonocytes (YAMC, a mouse colonic epithelial cell line) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Using microRNA array analysis, we showed that Ifnγ induces expression of miR-92b in YAMC cells. With in silico analysis, we found that the Sirt6 3=-untranslated region (UTR) contains a putative binding site for miR-92b. Luciferase assay showed that Ifnγ inhibited Sirt6 3=-UTR activity and this effect was mimicked by miR-92b via directly targeting the miR-92b seed site in the 3=-UTR of Sirt6 mRNA. Furthermore, Western blot demonstrated that miR-92b downregulated Sirt6 protein expression in YAMC cells. Blocking miR-92b with a specific inhibitor attenuated the inhibitory effect of Ifnγ on Sirt6 protein expression in the cells. Collectively, our data suggest that Ifnγ inhibits Sirt6 protein expression in intestinal epithelial cells via a miR-92b-mediated mechanism. miR-92b may be a novel therapeutic target for rescuing Sirt6 protein levels in intestinal epithelial cells, thereby protecting against intestinal mucosal injury caused by inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal inflammation is a risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and it increases intestinal injury in a rat NEC model. We previously showed that maldevelopment of the intestinal microvasculature and lack of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2) signaling play a role in experimental NEC. However, whether prenatal inflammation affects the intestinal microvasculature remains unknown. In this study, mouse dams were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline at embryonic day 17. Neonatal intestinal microvasculature density, endothelial cell proliferation, and intestinal VEGF-A and VEGFR2 proteins were assessed in vivo. Maternal and fetal serum TNF concentrations were measured by ELISA. The impact of TNF on the neonatal intestinal microvasculature was examined in vitro and in vivo, and we determined whether prenatal LPS injection exacerbates experimental NEC via TNF. Here we found that prenatal LPS injection significantly decreased intestinal microvascular density, endothelial cell proliferation, and VEGF and VEGFR2 protein expression in neonatal mice. Prenatal LPS injection increased maternal and fetal serum levels of TNF. TNF decreased VEGFR2 protein in vitro in neonatal endothelial cells. Postnatal TNF administration in vivo decreased intestinal microvasculature density, endothelial cell proliferation, and VEGF and VEGFR2 protein expression and increased the incidence of severe NEC. These effects were ameliorated by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, the master regulator of VEGF. Furthermore, prenatal LPS injection significantly increased the incidence of severe NEC in our model, and the effect was dependent on endogenous TNF. Our study suggests that prenatal inflammation increases the susceptibility to NEC, downregulates intestinal VEGFR2 signaling, and affects perinatal intestinal microvascular development via a TNF mechanism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This report provides new evidence that maternal inflammation decreases neonatal intestinal VEGF receptor 2 signaling and endothelial cell proliferation, impairs intestinal microvascular development, and predisposes neonatal mouse pups to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) through inflammatory cytokines such as TNF. Our data suggest that alteration of intestinal microvascular development may be a key mechanism by which premature infants exposed to prenatal inflammation are at risk for NEC and preserving the VEGF/VEGF receptor 2 signaling pathway may help prevent NEC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a common gastrointestinal disease affecting premature infants, remains poorly understood. We previously found that intestinal VEGF-A expression is decreased in human NEC samples and in a neonatal mouse NEC model prior to detectable histological injury. Therefore, we hypothesized that lack of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) signaling facilitates neonatal intestinal injury by impairing intestinal microvasculature development. Here, we found that intestinal VEGF-A and its receptor, VEGFR2, were highly expressed at the end of fetal life and significantly decreased after birth in mice. Furthermore, selective inhibition of VEGFR2 kinase activity and exposure to a neonatal NEC protocol significantly decreased the density of the intestinal microvascular network, which was further reduced when both interventions were provided together. Furthermore, VEGFR2 inhibition resulted in greater mortality and incidence of severe injury in pups submitted to the NEC model. The percentage of lamina propria endothelial cells was decreased during NEC induction, and further decreased when VEGFR2 signaling was inhibited. This was associated with decreased endothelial cell proliferation rather than apoptosis. In conclusion, we found that VEGF-A and VEGFR2 proteins are highly expressed in the intestine before birth, and are significantly downregulated in the immediate neonatal period. Furthermore, VEGFR2 signaling is necessary to maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosal microvasculature during the postnatal period and lack of VEGFR2 signaling predisposes to NEC in neonatal mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Decreased intestinal perfusion may contribute to the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic protein necessary for the development and maintenance of capillary networks. Whether VEGF is dysregulated in NEC remains unknown. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether intestinal VEGF expression is altered in a neonatal mouse model of NEC and in human NEC patients. Methods: We first assessed changes of intestinal VEGF mRNA and protein in a neonatal mouse NEC model before significant injury occurs. We then examined whether exposure to formula feeding, bacterial inoculation, cold stress and/or intermittent hypoxia affected intestinal VEGF expression. Last, we visualized VEGF protein in intestinal tissues of murine and human NEC and control cases by immunohistochemistry. Results: Intestinal VEGF protein and mRNA were significantly decreased in pups exposed to the NEC protocol compared to controls. Hypoxia, cold stress and commensal bacteria, when administered together, significantly downregulated intestinal VEGF expression, while they had no significant effect when given alone. VEGF was localized to a few single intestinal epithelial cells and some cells of the lamina propria and myenteric plexus. VEGF staining was decreased in murine and human NEC intestines when compared to control tissues. Conclusion: Intestinal VEGF protein is reduced in human and experimental NEC. Decreased VEGF production might contribute to NEC pathogenesis. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), an endogenous proinflammatory phospholipid, when injected intravascularly to rats and mice, causes shock, acute bowel injury, and a rapid activation of NF-κB p50-p50 with upregulation of the chemokine CXCL2 in the intestine. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of NF-κB activation and the role of the NF-κB p50 subunit in PAF-induced shock and acute bowel injury. NF-κB p50-deficient mice and wild-type mice were anesthetized and tracheotomized, and their carotid artery was cannulated for blood pressure monitoring, blood sampling, and PAF administration. For determination of bowel injury, shock, and survival, PAF (2.2 μg/kg, intra-arterially, i.a.) was injected. Two hours later, animals were euthanized, and their small intestines were removed for histological examination. For biochemical studies, PAF (1.5 μg/kg i.a.) was administered and the small intestine removed after 15-60 min. We found that PAF induced an increase in p105 processing within 30 min, but there were no changes in the levels of the NF-κB inhibitory proteins IκBα and β. NF-κB p50-deficient mice were protected against PAF-induced mortality, shock, intestinal hypoperfusion, and injury compared with wild-type animals. We also found that p50- deficient mice had decreased gene expression of CXCL2 and TNF and a decrease in CXCL2 protein production compared with wild-type mice. Our study suggests that PAF increases the processing of NF-κB p105 into p50, with upregulation of proinfiammatory cytokines, which leads to PAF-induced systemic inflammatory response and acute bowel injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence demonstrates human milk's protective effect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Human milk derives these properties from biologically active compounds that influence intestinal growth, barrier function, microvascular development, and immunological maturation. Among these protective compounds are growth factors that are secreted into milk with relatively high concentrations during the early postnatal period, when newborns are most susceptible to NEC. This paper reviews the current knowledge on human milk growth factors and their mechanisms of action relevant to NEC prevention. It will also discuss the stability of these growth factors with human milk pasteurization and their potential for use as supplements to infant formulas with the goal of preventing NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent endogenous mediator of bowel inflammation. It activates neutrophils that are needed to initiate the inflammatory response. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), a critical C-X-C chemokine secreted by macrophages and epithelial cells, is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils. Whereas MIP-2 has been previously shown to mediate the injury in various organs, its role in acute intestinal injury has never been assessed. In this study, we first investigated the effect of PAF on MIP-2 expression in the intestine. Anesthetized young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenously with either PAF (1.5 µg/kg) or saline. Sixty minutes later, ileal MIP-2 gene expression was determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR, and plasma and ileal MIP-2 protein was determined by ELISA. In a second step, we assessed the role of MIP-2 in PAF-induced bowel injury. Rats were pretreated with rabbit anti-rat MIP-2 antibodies or control IgG for 90 min and then injected intravenously with PAF (2.5 µg/kg) for 90 min. We found that, in the rat intestine, 1) MIP-2 mRNA was only minimally expressed constitutively in sham-operated animals; 2) MIP-2 mRNA was significantly upmgulated in response to PAF; 3) MIP-2 protein plasma levels and local production of MIP-2 in the ileum were markedly induced by PAF; 4) the administration of anti-rat MIP-2 IgG, but not control rabbit IgG, markedly reduced PAF-induced bowel injury (injury scores of 0.19 ± 0.09 vs. 1.12 ± 0.43, P < 0.05), hypotension, and leukopenia but did not reduce PAF-induced hemoconcentration. Thus we conclude that MIP-2 mediates PAF-induced intestinal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 (MFG-E8) is a secreted glycoprotein that regulates tissue homeostasis, possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties, and protects against tissue injury. The human pancreas expresses MFG-E8; however, the role of MFG-E8 in the pancreas remains unclear. We examined the expression of MFG-E8 in the pancreas at baseline and during cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in mice and determined whether MFG-E8 attenuates the progression of pancreatitis, a serious inflammatory condition that can be life-threatening. We administered cerulein to wild-type (WT) and Mfge8 knockout (KO) mice to induce pancreatitis. Immunoblot analysis showed that MFG-E8 is constitutively expressed in the murine pancreas and is increased in mice with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. In situ hybridization revealed that ductal epithelial cells in the mouse pancreas express Mfge8 transcripts at baseline. During pancreatitis, Mfge8 transcripts were abundantly expressed in acinar cells and endothelial cells in addition to ductal epithelial cells. Knocking out Mfge8 in mice exacerbated the severity of cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis and delayed its resolution. In contrast, administration of recombinant MFG-E8 attenuated cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis and promoted repair of pancreatic injury in Mfge8 KO mice. Taken together, our study suggests that MFG-E8 protects the pancreas against inflammatory injury and promotes pancreatic tissue repair. MFG-E8 may represent a novel therapeutic target in acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TNF plays an integral role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as evidenced by the dramatic therapeutic responses in Crohn's disease (CD) patients induced by chimeric anti-TNF mAbs. However, treatment of CD patients with etanercept, a decoy receptor that binds soluble TNF, fails to improve disease. To explore this discrepancy, we investigated the role of TNF signaling in Wnt/β-catenin-mediated intestinal stem cell and progenitor cell expansion in CD patients, human cells, and preclinical mouse models. We hypothesized that TNF exerts beneficial effects on intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) responses to injury. In CD patients, intestinal stem cell and progenitor cell Wnt/β-catenin signaling correlates with inflammation status. TNF-deficient (Tnf-/-) mice exhibited increased apoptosis, less IEC proliferation, and less Wnt signaling when stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb. Bone marrow (BM) chimera mice revealed that mucosal repair depended on TNF production by BM-derived cells and TNFR expression by radioresistant IECs. Wild-type→Tnfr1/2-/- BM chimera mice with chronic dextran sodium sulfate colitis exhibited delayed ulcer healing, more mucosal inflammation, and impaired Wnt/β-catenin signaling, consistent with the hypothesis that epithelial TNFR signaling participates in mucosal healing. The direct effect of TNF on stem cells was demonstrated by studies of TNF-induced Wnt/β-catenin target gene expression in murine enteroids and colonoid cultures and TNF-induced β-catenin activation in nontransformed human NCM460 cells (TOPFlash) and mice (TOP-GAL). Together, these data support the hypothesis that TNF plays a beneficial role in enhancing Wnt/β-catenin signaling during ulcer healing in IBD. These novel findings will inform clinicians and therapeutic chemists alike as they strive to develop novel therapies for IBD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin-6 (Sirt6) is a critical epigenetic regulator, but its function in the gut is unknown. Here, we studied the role of intestinal epithelial Sirt6 in colitis-associated intestinal epithelial injury. We found that Sirt6, which is predominantly expressed in epithelial cells in intestinal crypts, is decreased in colitis in both mice and humans. Colitis-derived inflammatory mediators including interferon-γ and reactive oxygen species strongly inhibited Sirt6 protein expression in young adult mouse colonocyte (YAMC) cells. The susceptibility of the cells to injurious insults was increased after knockdown of Sirt6 expression. In contrast, YAMC cells with Sirt6 overexpression exhibited more resistance to injurious insult. Furthermore, intestinal epithelial–specific Sirt6 (Sirt6IEC-KO) knockout mice exhibited greater susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. RNA sequencing transcriptome analysis revealed that inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α suppressed expression of R-spondin-1 (Rspo1, a critical growth factor for intestinal epithelial cells) in Sirt6-silenced YAMC cells in vitro. In addition, lipopolysaccharide was found to inhibit colonic Rspo1 expression in Sirt6IEC-KO mice but not their control littermates. Furthermore, Sirt6IEC-KO mice with DSS-induced colitis also exhibited in a significant decrease in Rspo1 expression in colons. In vitro, knockdown of Rspo1 attenuated the effect of ectopic expression of Sirt6 on protection of YAMC cells against cell death challenges. In conclusion, Sirt6 plays an important role in protecting intestinal epithelial cells against inflammatory injury in a mechanism associated with preserving Rspo1 levels in the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]