C. Tagesson

Intestinal Transmission of Macromolecules (BSA and FITC-Dextran) in the Neonatal Pig: Enhancing Effect of Colostrum, Proteins and Proteinase Inhibitors

The effects of colostrum and constituents/factors in colostrum which may influence intestinal macromolecular transmission in the newborn preclosure pig were investigated. Unsuckled piglets were given, by use of a stomach tube, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled dextran 70,000 (FITC-D) as markers together with colostrum or the factors under study. The serum levels of BSA and FITC-D 4 h after feeding were then determined as a measure of the transfer. It was found that the two colostrums tested, bovine and especially porcine, markedly enhanced the transmission of both BSA and FITC-D. Furthermore, increasing amounts of the model proteins, BSA and bovine IgG (50-200 mg/ml), significantly increased the transfer of FITC-D, whereas unlabelled dextran 70,000 given in similar amounts did not. Proteinase inhibitors obtained from sow colostrum or soy bean also enhanced the transmission of both BSA and FITC-D while the inactive inhibitors, given as trypsin-inhibitor complexes, had no effect. On the other hand, addition of a proteinase, porcine trypsin, significantly decreased the transmission of FITC-D. These findings indicate that the intestinal transmission of macromolecules in the preclosure piglet is governed by the amount of protein available in the intestine. Therefore, feeding colostrum with a high protein content and proteinase inhibitors is likely to favour efficient intestinal transmission, although other colostrum factors may also be of importance.

Phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens stimulates phospholipase A2-mediated arachidonic acid release in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407)

The mechanisms by which phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens stimulates release of arachidonic acid (AA) in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT-407) were investigated. INT-407 cells were first allowed to incorporate 14C-labeled AA into their phospholipids; the labeled cells were then exposed to phospholipase C, and the release of free 14C-AA was determined. Phospholipase C caused a rapid (3 min) intracellular rise of free 14C-AA, followed by a considerable, dose- and time-dependent release of 14C-AA into the extracellular medium. For comparison, the calcium ionophore A23187 also caused a rapid mobilization of free 14C-AA, but a much lower extracellular 14C-AA release than phospholipase C during longer (1 h) incubation. The 14C-AA release was accompanied by a degradation of 14C-myo-inositol-labeled phosphatidylinositols and was reduced by the protein kinase C inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). Both phospholipase C- and A23187-stimulated 14C-AA release was associated with degradation of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol and was reduced by nordihydroguaiaretic acid and 4-bromophenacyl bromide, two known phospholipase A2 inhibitors. In addition, the 14C-AA release was reduced by the calmodulin inhibitors trifluoperazine, compound 48/80, and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide (W-7). These findings indicate that phospholipase C from C. perfringens stimulates phospholipase A2-mediated AA release from human intestinal epithelial cells and suggest that this stimulation is brought about via processes involving phosphatidylinositol breakdown and activation of calmodulin and protein kinase C. It is possible that this phospholipase C-evoked AA release may contribute to the mucosal pathologic condition in diseases with altered intestinal microbial flora.

Intestinal permeability to polyethyleneglycol 600 in relation to macromolecular 'closure' in the neonatal pig.

The intestinal permeability of different sized molecules in the neonatal pig was investigated. Piglets of varying age (0-168 h) were given a mixture of different sized polyethyleneglycols (414-942 dalton polyethyleneglycols) together with ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin by stomach tube, and the serum concentrations were determined two hours after feeding. Considerable amounts of ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin were found in the serum of animals up to 24 hours of age, whereas very little or none at all was found in sera from older animals. By contrast, an intestinal permeability barrier to polyethyleneglycols in the 414-942 dalton range was found not only in the older animals but in all pigs investigated, including the newborn, unsuckled. In addition, the permeability barrier to polyethyleneglycols was found in a pig which was starved to prevent macromolecular closure and, therefore, absorbed considerable amounts of bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin. These findings indicate that 414-942 dalton polyethyleneglycols cross the intestinal mucosa at different rates due to size regardless of age of the animals and regardless of whether the mucosa is permeable to protein or not. This suggests that low molecular weight molecules like 414-942 dalton polyethyleneglycols and macromolecules (proteins) cross the neonatal gut wall through different routes.

Phospholipase A2 gene expression and activity in histologically normal ileal mucosa and in Crohn's ileitis.

Increased activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the ileal mucosa may contribute to the inflammation in Crohns disease. The results of this study showed that (a) three months after ileocolonic resection for Crohns disease the neoterminal ileal mucosa showed endoscopically new inflammation and had higher PLA2 activity than at the time of the operation (n = 8); no such findings were seen in controls (n = 7), (b) histologically normal ileal mucosa (n = 3) contained mRNA for three isoforms of PLA2 (PLA2-I, PLA2-II, and cPLA2), but the amounts of PLA2-II mRNA clearly exceeded the amounts of mRNA for PLA2-I and cPLA2, (c) ileal mucosa from Crohns patients (n = 2) contained higher values of PLA2-II mRNA than ileal mucosa from two controls, (d) ileal mucosa from Crohns patients (n = 4) showed increased PLA2-II mRNA three months after ileocolonic resection. In conclusion, these results show that the predominating PLA2 mRNA in the human ileal mucosa is type II PLA2, and the increased synthesis of PLA2-II might be responsible for the increased PLA2 activity found in the ileal mucosa accompanying recurrent ileal inflammation in Crohns disease.

Hydrogen peroxide stimulates phospholipase A2 -mediated arachidonic acid release in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407)

The mechanisms by which hydrogen peroxide and, for comparison, 4-beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) stimulate release of radiolabeled arachidonic acid (14C-AA) in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407) were investigated. Both hydrogen peroxide and PMA caused a rapid (3 min) and dose-related intracellular release of free 14C-AA, followed by a dose- and time-dependent release of 14C-AA into the extracellular medium, but hydrogen peroxide was about 50,000 times less effective than PMA in releasing 14C-AA. No 14C-AA was released on stimulation with 4-alpha-phorbol-12,13-di-decanoate (PDD), a phorbol ester that does not activate protein kinase C. The 14C-AA release was reduced by the phospholipase A2 inhibitors nordihydroguaiaretic acid and 4-bromophenacyl bromide and by the calmodulin/protein kinase C inhibitor trifluoperazine and the protein kinase C inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). However, H-7 was less effective than the other inhibitors in reducing the hydrogen peroxide-stimulated 14C-AA release. The hydrogen peroxide-stimulated, but not the PMA-stimulated, rapid (3 min) 14C-AA release was associated with an increased influx of extracellular calcium. Stimulation of the cells with PMA resulted in phosphorylation of a cellular protein of about 32 kDa, whereas no phosphorylation of this protein was detected after stimulation with hydrogen peroxide. Taken together, these findings indicate that (i) both PMA and hydrogen peroxide may stimulate phospholipase A2-mediated AA release from human intestinal epithelial cells; (ii) this stimulation is brought about via protein kinase C and calmodulin-mediated events; (iii) PMA-stimulated 14C-AA release is associated with phosphorylation of a 32-kDa protein, possibly lipocortin, whereas the hydrogen peroxide-stimulated release is not; and (iv) calmodulin is more important for the hydrogen peroxide-stimulated 14C-AA release than is protein kinase C. The possibility that hydrogen peroxide-evoked AA release may contribute to the mucosal abnormality in Crohns disease is discussed.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Potentiates Phospholipase A2-Stimulated Release and Metabolism of Arachidonic Acid in Cultured Intestinal Epithelial Cells (INT 407)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a known pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by mediating damage to the intestinal epithelial cells. The present study demonstrates that TNF-alpha potentiates release and metabolism of 14C-labeled arachidonic acid (14C-AA) in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407). Although TNF-alpha on its own was but a weak stimulator of cellular 14C-AA turnover, it significantly potentiated the release of 14C-AA and 14C-labeled prostaglandin E2(14C-PGE2) after stimulation with three known phospholipase A2 activators: phospholipase. C from Clostridium perfringens, the calcium ionophore A23187, and the phorbol ester 4-beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). The phospholipase A2 inhibitor quinacrine significantly reduced both AA and PGE2 release after combined stimulation with phospholipase C and TNF-alpha. In contrast to its effect on the AA turnover, TNF-alpha did not affect the phospholipase C-stimulated production of platelet-activating factor (PAF-acether). Taken together, these findings indicate that a) TNF-alpha potentiates phospholipase A2-stimulated AA release from cultured intestinal epithelial cells; b) TNF-alpha may stimulate phospholipase A2-dependent AA release without affecting the formation of PAF-acether and c) pretreatment with TNF-alpha potentiates the formation of PGE2 after stimulation with phospholipase A2 activators. In summary, the present investigation points to the possibility that TNF-alpha may stimulate intestinal epithelial cells to produce biologically active AA metabolites and that this stimulation may be modulated by components of the intestinal luminal content, like bacterial toxins.

Effects of endotoxin and dexamethasone on group I and II phospholipase A2 in rat ileum and stomach.

Phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) is a key enzyme in inflammation and is thought to play an important part in inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. To investigate the nature and regulation of phospholipase A2 activity in the gastrointestinal mucosa, the distribution of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for group II phospholipase A2 in various parts of the rat gastrointestinal tract was studied, as well as the influence of endotoxin or dexamethasone, or both, on the group I and II phospholipase A2 mRNA expression and activity in the rat glandular stomach and distal ileum. The results show that (a) group II phospholipase A2 is present along the whole gastrointestinal tract, but in particularly large amounts in the distal ileum, (b) endotoxin increases group II, but not group I, phospholipase A2 mRNA expression in the glandular stomach and distal ileum, and (c) dexamethasone reduces the endotoxin induced increases in group II phospholipase mRNA expression and activity in the gastrointestinal mucosa. These findings suggest that phospholipase A2 of type II is a mediator of endotoxin effects in the gastrointestinal mucosa and that its expression at the mRNA level can be inhibited by corticosteroids.

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase-2 mediate release and metabolism of arachidonic acid in tumor necrosis factor-α-primed cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407)

BACKGROUND We have recently reported that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, potentiates phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-stimulated arachidonic acid (AA) release and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407). The aim of the present study was to investigate which particular isoforms of PLA2 and cyclooxygenase (COX) are involved in these processes. METHODS Cells were labeled with 14C-AA or 14C-oleic acid, and the amounts of released fatty acid and PGE2 were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The cells contained mainly mRNA for cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and only trace amounts of mRNA for group I and II PLA2. TNF-alpha potentiated the release of 14C-AA but not of 14C-oleic acid. The TNF-alpha-potentiated PGE2 release was reduced after inhibition of cellular COX activity or mRNA synthesis. TNF-alpha increased the amounts of mRNA for COX-2 but not for COX-1. CONCLUSIONS The results point to the possibility that TNF-alpha may modulate the intestinal mucosal content of biologically active AA metabolites by priming cPLA2- and COX-2-mediated processes in the epithelial cells.

Phospholipase activation and arachidonic acid release in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407)

The release of free arachidonic acid (AA) in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (INT 407) was investigated. INT-407 cells were first incubated overnight with radiolabeled 14C-AA, and most of the incorporated 14C-AA esterified into phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol. Labeled cells were then exposed to different stimulating agents and the release of free 14C-AA determined. The calcium ionophore A23187 caused a dose-dependent AA release that was preceded by a rapid uptake and a subsequent efflux of 45Ca2+. By contrast, phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens caused a great AA release that was accompanied by an apparent uptake and a sustained intracellular accumulation of 45Ca2+. The cells alos released AA when exposed to the protein kinase C activator, 4 beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), and this agent, like the diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-rac-glycerol, significantly potentiated the AA release caused by A23187. Not only A23187-mediated but also phospholipase C- and PMA-mediated AA release was inhibited by 4-bromophenacyl bromide, a known phospholipase A2 inhibitor. These findings, taken together, indicate that AA release in intestinal epithelial cells can be caused by (i) Ca2+-mediated phospholipase activation, (ii) products of phospholipase C activity, and (iii) stimulation of protein kinase C. It is suggested, therefore, that AA release in intestinal epithelial cells is governed by intracellular Ca2+, protein kinase C-mediated protein phosphorylation, and activation of phospholipase A2.

Phospholipase Activation and Arachidonic Acid Release in Isolated Intestinal Epithelial Cells

A novel method for studying the mobilization of free arachidonic acid (AA) in isolated intestinal epithelial cells is described. The method is based on labeling the cellular phospholipids with 14C-AA and studying the release of this 14C-AA on subsequent phospholipase activation. Cells of high viability were isolated from the small intestine of guinea pigs and incubated with 14C-AA for 2 h; most of the incorporated 14C-AA was then esterified into phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. When the labeled cells were stimulated with the calcium ionophore A23187 in the presence of external calcium, they released significant amounts of AA. In contrast, the cells released no AA when stimulated with A23187 in the absence of external calcium or in the presence of chlorpromazine or 4-bromophenacyl bromide, both of which are known to inhibit phospholipase A2 activity. On the other hand, the cells released significant AA in response to exogenous phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens. These findings indicate that AA release in intestinal cells may be caused by calcium-mediated phospholipase A2 activation or by products of microbial phospholipase C activity. They also suggest the further use of 14C-AA-labeled cells for studying agents and mechanisms that may influence the release of AA in the gastrointestinal tract.