The gastric mucus layers: constituents and regulation of accumulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (4) ◽  
pp. G806-G812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Phillipson ◽  
Malin E. V. Johansson ◽  
Johanna Henriksnäs ◽  
Joel Petersson ◽  
Sandra J. Gendler ◽  
...  

The mucus layer continuously covering the gastric mucosa consists of a loosely adherent layer that can be easily removed by suction, leaving a firmly adherent mucus layer attached to the epithelium. These two layers exhibit different gastroprotective roles; therefore, individual regulation of thickness and mucin composition were studied. Mucus thickness was measured in vivo with micropipettes in anesthetized mice [isoflurane; C57BL/6, Muc1−/−, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)−/−, and neuronal NOS (nNOS)−/−] and rats (inactin) after surgical exposure of the gastric mucosa. The two mucus layers covering the gastric mucosa were differently regulated. Luminal administration of PGE2increased the thickness of both layers, whereas luminal NO stimulated only firmly adherent mucus accumulation. A new gastroprotective role for iNOS was indicated since iNOS-deficient mice had thinner firmly adherent mucus layers and a lower mucus accumulation rate, whereas nNOS did not appear to be involved in mucus secretion. Downregulation of gastric mucus accumulation was observed in Muc1−/− mice. Both the firmly and loosely adherent mucus layers consisted of Muc5ac mucins. In conclusion, this study showed that, even though both the two mucus layers covering the gastric mucosa consist of Muc5ac, they are differently regulated by luminal PGE2and NO. A new gastroprotective role for iNOS was indicated since iNOS−/− mice had a thinner firmly adherent mucus layer. In addition, a regulatory role of Muc1 was demonstrated since downregulation of gastric mucus accumulation was observed in Muc1−/− mice.

Circulation ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 96 (9) ◽  
pp. 3104-3111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Fukumoto ◽  
Hiroaki Shimokawa ◽  
Toshiyuki Kozai ◽  
Toshiaki Kadokami ◽  
Kouichi Kuwata ◽  
...  

Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Schmid ◽  
Oliver Hausmann ◽  
Wolfgang Hitzl ◽  
Yvonne Achermann ◽  
Karin Wuertz-Kozak

Recently, the role of infection of the intervertebral disc (IVD) with Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) as a contributor to disc-related low back pain (LBP) has been discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how C. acnes contributes to the inflammatory processes during IVD disease. The prevalence of C. acnes infection in human IVD tissue was determined by aerobic and anaerobic culture. Thereafter, primary human IVD cells were infected with a reference and a clinical C. acnes strain and analyzed for pro-inflammatory markers (gene/protein level). In a subsequent experiment, the involvement of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway was investigated by co-treatment with sparstolonin B, a TLR2/4 inhibitor. We detected C. acnes in 10% of IVD biopsies (with either herniation or degeneration). Stimulating IVD cells with both C. acnes strains strongly and significantly upregulated expression of Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). IL-6, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and iNOS expression was reduced upon TLR2/4 inhibition in 3 out of 5 donors, whereby responders and non-responders could not be differentiated by their basal TLR2 or TLR4 expression levels. We demonstrate that exposure of IVD cells to C. acnes induces an inflammatory response that may contribute to the development of discogenic LBP by involving TLR2/4 activation, yet only in a subgroup of patients. Whether the same response will be observed in vivo and where lower inoculums are present remains to be proven in future studies.


Parasitology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. FAVRE ◽  
B. RYFFEL ◽  
W. RUDIN

Nitric oxide (NO) production has been suggested to play a role as effector molecule in the control of the malarial infections. However, the roles of this molecule are debated. To assess whether blood-stage parasite killing is NO dependent, we investigated the course of blood-stage Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi (Pcc) infections in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-deficient mice. Parasitaemia, haematological alterations, and survival were not affected by the lack of iNOS. To exclude a role of NO produced by other NOS, controls included NO suppression by oral administration of aminoguanidine (AG), a NOS inhibitor. As in iNOS-deficient mice, no difference in the parasitaemia course, survival and haematological values was observed after AG treatment. Our results indicate that NO production is not required for protection against malaria in our murine experimental model. However, C57BL/6 mice treated with AG lost their resistance to Pcc infections, suggesting that the requirement for NO production for parasite killing in murine blood-stage malaria might be strain dependent.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (2) ◽  
pp. H617-H624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita K. Upmacis ◽  
Hao Shen ◽  
Lea Esther S. Benguigui ◽  
Brian D. Lamon ◽  
Ruba S. Deeb ◽  
...  

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vasoactive molecule produced by three NO synthase (NOS) enzymes: neuronal (nNOS), inducible (iNOS), and endothelial NOS (eNOS). While eNOS contributes to blood vessel dilation that protects against the development of hypertension, iNOS has been primarily implicated as a disease-promoting isoform during atherogenesis. Despite this, iNOS may play a physiological role via the modulation of cyclooxygenase and thromboregulatory eicosanoid production. Herein, we examined the role of iNOS in a murine model of thrombosis. Blood flow was measured in carotid arteries of male and female wild-type (WT) and iNOS-deficient mice following ferric chloride-induced thrombosis. Female WT mice were more resistant to thrombotic occlusion than male counterparts but became more susceptible upon iNOS deletion. In contrast, male mice (with and without iNOS deletion) were equally susceptible to thrombosis. Deletion of iNOS was not associated with a change in the balance of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) or antithrombotic prostacyclin (PGI2). Compared with male counterparts, female WT mice exhibited increased urinary nitrite and nitrate levels and enhanced ex vivo induction of iNOS in hearts and aortas. Our findings suggest that iNOS-derived NO in female WT mice may attenuate the effects of vascular injury. Thus, although iNOS is detrimental during atherogenesis, physiological iNOS levels may contribute to providing protection against thrombotic occlusion, a phenomenon that may be enhanced in female mice.


1999 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 2997-3005 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bartholdy ◽  
A. Nansen ◽  
J. Erbo Christensen ◽  
O. Marker ◽  
A. Randrup Thomsen

By using mice with a targetted disruption in the gene encoding inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS), we have studied the role of nitric oxide (NO) in lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-induced, T cell-mediated protective immunity and immunopathology. The afferent phase of the T cell-mediated immune response was found to be unaltered in iNOS-deficient mice compared with wild-type C57BL/6 mice, and LCMV- induced general immunosuppression was equally pronounced in both strains. In vivo analysis revealed identical kinetics of virus clearance, as well as unaltered clinical severity of systemic LCMV infection in both strains. Concerning the outcome of intracerebral infection, no significant differences were found between iNOS-deficient and wild-type mice in the number or composition of mononuclear cells found in the cerebrospinal fluid on day 6 post-infection. Likewise, NO did not influence the up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine genes significantly, nor did it influence the development of fatal meningitis. However, a reduced virus-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was observed in iNOS-deficient mice compared with both IFN-γ-deficient and wild-type mice. This might suggest a role of NO in regulating vascular reactivity in the context of T cell-mediated inflammation. In conclusion, these findings indicate a minimal role for iNOS/NO in the host response to LCMV. Except for a reduced local oedema in the knockout mice, iNOS/NO seems to be redundant in controlling both the afferent and efferent phases of the T cell-mediated immune response to LCMV infection.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (1) ◽  
pp. G90-G99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna-Marie McCafferty ◽  
Elaine Sihota ◽  
Marcelo Muscara ◽  
John L. Wallace ◽  
Keith A. Sharkey ◽  
...  

Mice deficient in both inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin (IL)-10 (iNOS−/−/IL-10−/−) were created to examine the role of iNOS in spontaneously developing intestinal inflammation. IL-10−/−/iNOS−/−mice were compared with IL-10−/−(iNOS+/+) littermates over 6 mo. RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry were performed to measure iNOS message and protein levels. Plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels were assessed by HPLC. Damage scores (macroscopic and microscopic) and granulocyte infiltration were assessed. At 3–4 wk, IL-10−/−and IL-10−/−/iNOS−/−mice had no signs of colonic inflammation or granulocyte infiltration. Plasma NOxlevels were not different from controls. By 3–4 mo, IL-10−/−mice had increased damage scores and granulocyte infiltration concurrent with increased mRNA and protein synthesis (restricted to the epithelium) for iNOS in intestinal tissues but not other tissues. Plasma NOxlevels increased fivefold. Interestingly, in the absence of iNOS induction or increased plasma NOx, iNOS−/−/IL-10−/−mice had damage and granulocyte infiltration equivalent to those observed in IL-10−/−littermates. These data suggest that iNOS does not impact on the development or severity of spontaneous chronic inflammation in IL-10-deficient mice.


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