Lactobacillus acidophilus Induces Cytokine and Chemokine Production via NF-κB and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways in Intestinal Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACTIntestinal epithelial cells can respond to certain bacteria by producing an array of cytokines and chemokines which are associated with host immune responses.Lactobacillus acidophilusNCFM is a characterized probiotic, originally isolated from human feces. This study aimed to test the ability ofL. acidophilusNCFM to stimulate cytokine and chemokine production in intestinal epithelial cells and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in their upregulation. In experiments using intestinal epithelial cell lines and mouse models, we observed thatL. acidophilusNCFM could rapidly but transiently upregulate a number of effector genes encoding cytokines and chemokines such as interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, CCL2, and CCL20 and that cytokines showed lower expression levels withL. acidophilusNCFM treatment than chemokines. Moreover,L. acidophilusNCFM could activate a pathogen-associated molecular pattern receptor, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), in intestinal epithelial cell lines. The phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in intestinal epithelial cell lines was also enhanced byL. acidophilusNCFM. Furthermore, inhibitors of NF-κB (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate [PDTC]) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) significantly reduced cytokine and chemokine production in the intestinal epithelial cell lines stimulated byL. acidophilusNCFM, suggesting that both NF-κB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways were important for the production of cytokines and chemokines induced byL. acidophilusNCFM.

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Gamma Interferon Augments the Intracellular Pathway for Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Recognition in Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells through Coordinated Up-Regulation of LPS Uptake and Expression of the Intracellular Toll-Like Receptor 4-MD-2 Complex

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.71.6.3503-3511.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 71 (6) ◽

pp. 3503-3511 ◽

Cited By ~ 156

Author(s):

Manabu Suzuki ◽

Tadakazu Hisamatsu ◽

Daniel K. Podolsky

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cell ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Cell ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Cells ◽

Intestinal Epithelial ◽

Toll Like Receptor ◽

Toll Like Receptor 4 ◽

Epithelial Cell Lines ◽

Ifn Γ

ABSTRACT Although some intestinal epithelial cell lines are known to respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), understanding of the relationship between LPS responsiveness and the expression of LPS receptors or factors regulating LPS responsiveness of intestinal epithelial cell lines is incomplete. In this study, we demonstrate that commonly studied human intestinal epithelial cell lines can be classified into at least three different types on the basis of LPS responsiveness, Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) expression, and the effects of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) on LPS responsiveness. The first phenotype, which includes the HCT-116 and Caco-2 cell lines, is characterized by relative hyporesponsiveness to LPS and diminished expression of TLR4 protein. In these cells, IFN-γ does not induce LPS responsiveness. The second phenotype, which includes cell line SW480, exhibits a highly LPS-responsive phenotype and surface expression of TLR4 protein even in unprimed conditions. These lines are functionally similar to cells of monocytic lineage. In the third phenotype, which includes the HT-29 and Colo205 cell lines, TLR4 protein is largely present in the cytoplasmic fraction and the cells are hyporesponsive to LPS in an unprimed condition. However, priming of these cells with IFN-γ can induce LPS responsiveness through augmentation of LPS uptake and expression of MD-2 mRNA and intracellular TLR4 proteins. Finally, these findings suggest that the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ modulates LPS responsiveness through several mechanisms in intestinal epithelial cells and that these cells may comprise different subpopulations with distinct roles in innate immune responses.

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Induction of endothelin-1 synthesis by IL-2 and its modulation of rat intestinal epithelial cell growth

AJP Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpgi.1998.275.3.g556 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 275 (3) ◽

pp. G556-G563 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Takeharu Shigematsu ◽

Soichiro Miura ◽

Masahiko Hirokawa ◽

Ryota Hokari ◽

Hajime Higuchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Growth ◽

Epithelial Cell ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Proliferative Response ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Cell ◽

Culture Media ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Cells ◽

Intestinal Epithelial

Endothelin (ET), a vasoconstrictive peptide, is known to have a variety of biological actions. Although ET is released by vascular endothelial cells, other cell populations also have been reported to synthesize and release ET. In this study, we examined whether ET is synthesized by intestinal epithelial cells and whether it affects induction of epithelial cell proliferation by interleukin-2 (IL-2). Subconfluent monolayers of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6 and IEC-18) were maintained in serum-free medium before addition of rat IL-2. Both IEC-6 and IEC-18 cells released ET-1 into the medium under unstimulated conditions, as determined by a sandwich ELISA. IL-2 significantly enhanced ET-1 release in a time-dependent manner. ET-3 was not detectable in the culture media of either cell line. Expression of ET-1 and ET-3 mRNA in epithelial cells was assessed by competitive PCR. Both cell lines were shown to express ET-1 mRNA, but no ET-3 mRNA was detected. IL-2 treatment enhanced ET-1 mRNA expression by both IEC-6 and IEC-18 cells. Both cell lines also expressed mRNA for ETA and ETB receptor subtypes. When cell proliferation was assessed, exogenous ET-1 induced a slight proliferative response in both types of cells that was consistent and significant at low ET-1 concentrations; cell growth was inhibited at a higher concentration (10−7M). IL-2 produced a significant proliferative response in both cell lines. However, the addition of ET-1 (10−7 M) to culture media attenuated the IL-2-induced increase in cell proliferation. ETA-receptor antagonists significantly enhanced cellular proliferation, suggesting involvement of the ETA receptor in modulation of IL-2-induced intestinal epithelial cell growth.

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