scholarly journals Microenvironmental Metabolites in the Intestine: Messengers between Health and Disease

Metabolites ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Antonio Enrico Zaurito ◽  
Markus Tschurtschenthaler

The intestinal mucosa is a highly absorptive organ and simultaneously constitutes the physical barrier between the host and a complex outer ecosystem. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) represent a special node that receives signals from the host and the environment and translates them into corresponding responses. Specific molecular communication systems such as metabolites are known to transmit information across the intestinal boundary. The gut microbiota or food-derived metabolites are extrinsic factors that influence the homeostasis of the intestinal epithelium, while mitochondrial and host-derived cellular metabolites determine the identity, fitness, and regenerative capacity of IECs. Little is known, however, about the role of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolites of IECs in the initiation and progression of pathological processes such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer as well as about their impact on intestinal immunity. In this review, we will highlight the most recent contributions on the modulatory effects of intestinal metabolites in gut pathophysiology, with a particular focus on metabolites in promoting intestinal inflammation or colorectal tumorigenesis. In addition, we will provide a perspective on the role of newly identified oncometabolites from the commensal and opportunistic microbiota in shaping response and resistance to antitumor therapy.

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (46) ◽  
pp. 17931-17936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danyvid Olivares-Villagómez ◽  
Yanice V. Mendez-Fernandez ◽  
Vrajesh V. Parekh ◽  
Saif Lalani ◽  
Tiffaney L. Vincent ◽  
...  

Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) bear a partially activated phenotype that permits them to rapidly respond to antigenic insults. However, this phenotype also implies that IEL must be highly controlled to prevent misdirected immune reactions. It has been suggested that IEL are regulated through the interaction of the CD8αα homodimer with the thymus leukemia (TL) antigen expressed by intestinal epithelial cells. We have generated and characterized mice genetically-deficient in TL expression. Our findings show that TL expression has a critical role in maintaining IEL effector functions. Also, TL deficiency accelerated colitis in a genetic model of inflammatory bowel disease. These findings reveal an important regulatory role of TL in controlling IEL function and intestinal inflammation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yashar Houshyar ◽  
Luca Massimino ◽  
Luigi Antonio Lamparelli ◽  
Silvio Danese ◽  
Federica Ungaro

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a multifaceted class of relapsing-remitting chronic inflammatory conditions where microbiota dysbiosis plays a key role during its onset and progression. The human microbiota is a rich community of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, and archaea, and is an integral part of the body influencing its overall homeostasis. Emerging evidence highlights dysbiosis of the archaeome and mycobiome to influence the overall intestinal microbiota composition in health and disease, including IBD, although they remain some of the least understood components of the gut microbiota. Nonetheless, their ability to directly impact the other commensals, or the host, reasonably makes them important contributors to either the maintenance of the mucosal tissue physiology or to chronic intestinal inflammation development. Therefore, the full understanding of the archaeome and mycobiome dysbiosis during IBD pathogenesis may pave the way to the discovery of novel mechanisms, finally providing innovative therapeutic targets that can soon implement the currently available treatments for IBD patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 970-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Li ◽  
Marita Führer ◽  
Ehsan Bahrami ◽  
Piotr Socha ◽  
Maja Klaudel-Dreszler ◽  
...  

Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) is a critical regulator of cell death and inflammation, but its relevance for human disease pathogenesis remains elusive. Studies of monogenic disorders might provide critical insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic targeting of RIPK1 for common diseases. Here, we report on eight patients from six unrelated pedigrees with biallelic loss-of-function mutations in RIPK1 presenting with primary immunodeficiency and/or intestinal inflammation. Mutations in RIPK1 were associated with reduced NF-κB activity, defective differentiation of T and B cells, increased inflammasome activity, and impaired response to TNFR1-mediated cell death in intestinal epithelial cells. The characterization of RIPK1-deficient patients highlights the essential role of RIPK1 in controlling human immune and intestinal homeostasis, and might have critical implications for therapies targeting RIPK1.


2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betsy C. Taylor ◽  
Colby Zaph ◽  
Amy E. Troy ◽  
Yurong Du ◽  
Katherine J. Guild ◽  
...  

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) produce thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP); however, the in vivo influence of TSLP–TSLP receptor (TSLPR) interactions on immunity and inflammation in the intestine remains unclear. We show that TSLP–TSLPR interactions are critical for immunity to the intestinal pathogen Trichuris. Monoclonal antibody–mediated neutralization of TSLP or deletion of the TSLPR in normally resistant mice resulted in defective expression of Th2 cytokines and persistent infection. Susceptibility was accompanied by elevated expression of interleukin (IL) 12/23p40, interferon (IFN) γ, and IL-17A, and development of severe intestinal inflammation. Critically, neutralization of IFN-γ in Trichuris-infected TSLPR−/− mice restored Th2 cytokine responses and resulted in worm expulsion, providing the first demonstration of TSLPR-independent pathways for Th2 cytokine production. Additionally, TSLPR−/− mice displayed elevated production of IL-12/23p40 and IFN-γ, and developed heightened intestinal inflammation upon exposure to dextran sodium sulfate, demonstrating a previously unrecognized immunoregulatory role for TSLP in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease.


2011 ◽  
Vol 208 (6) ◽  
pp. 1127-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Geremia ◽  
Carolina V. Arancibia-Cárcamo ◽  
Myles P.P. Fleming ◽  
Nigel Rust ◽  
Baljit Singh ◽  
...  

Results of experimental and genetic studies have highlighted the role of the IL-23/IL-17 axis in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IL-23–driven inflammation has been primarily linked to Th17 cells; however, we have recently identified a novel population of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in mice that produces IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ in response to IL-23 and mediates innate colitis. The relevance of ILC populations in human health and disease is currently poorly understood. In this study, we have analyzed the role of IL-23–responsive ILCs in the human intestine in control and IBD patients. Our results show increased expression of the Th17-associated cytokine genes IL17A and IL17F among intestinal CD3− cells in IBD. IL17A and IL17F expression is restricted to CD56− ILCs, whereas IL-23 induces IL22 and IL26 in the CD56+ ILC compartment. Furthermore, we observed a significant and selective increase in CD127+CD56− ILCs in the inflamed intestine in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients but not in ulcerative colitis patients. These results indicate that IL-23–responsive ILCs are present in the human intestine and that intestinal inflammation in CD is associated with the selective accumulation of a phenotypically distinct ILC population characterized by inflammatory cytokine expression. ILCs may contribute to intestinal inflammation through cytokine production, lymphocyte recruitment, and organization of the inflammatory tissue and may represent a novel tissue-specific target for subtypes of IBD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (2) ◽  
pp. G98-G107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumeet Solanki ◽  
Samantha N. Devenport ◽  
Sadeesh K. Ramakrishnan ◽  
Yatrik M. Shah

Hypoxia is a notable feature of inflammatory bowel disease and chronic induction of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α (endothelial PAS domain protein 1, EPAS1) play important, but opposing, roles in its pathogenesis. While activation of HIF-1α decreases intestinal inflammation and is beneficial in colitis, activation of HIF-2α exacerbates colitis and increases colon carcinogenesis in animal models, primarily due to the role of epithelial HIF-2α in mounting a potent inflammatory response. Previous work from our laboratory showed that mice overexpressing intestinal epithelial HIF-2α led to massive intestinal inflammation and decreased survival. As oxygen homeostasis and HIFs are critical in embryonic development, it is not clear whether the observed intestinal inflammatory response was secondary to developmental defects. To address this question, the present study used a mouse model to temporally modulate expression of intestinal epithelial HIF-2α to assess its role in mediating inflammatory response. Remarkably, activation of HIF-2α in intestinal epithelial cells in adult mice increased expression of proinflammatory mediators; however, no decrease in survival was observed. Furthermore, in an acute model of colitis, activation of HIF-2α was sufficient to exacerbate colitis. These data confirm our previous finding that epithelial HIF-2α mediates inflammatory response and demonstrates that activation of HIF-2α is sufficient to exacerbate colitis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract. Hypoxia and activation of its downstream transcription factors hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α are notable features of IBD. HIF-1α has well-characterized protective roles in IBD; however, the role of HIF-2α has been less studied. Using novel HIF-2α mouse models, we show that activation of HIF-2α in intestinal epithelial cells is sufficient to exacerbate colitis.


Author(s):  
Kai Nie ◽  
Kejia Ma ◽  
Weiwei Luo ◽  
Zhaohua Shen ◽  
Zhenyu Yang ◽  
...  

Roseburia intestinalis is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, slightly curved rod-shaped flagellated bacterium that produces butyrate in the colon. R. intestinalis has been shown to prevent intestinal inflammation and maintain energy homeostasis by producing metabolites. Evidence shows that this bacterium contributes to various diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and atherosclerosis. This review reveals the potential therapeutic role of R. intestinalis in human diseases. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibit significant changes in R. intestinalis abundance, and they may benefit a lot from modulations targeting R. intestinalis. The data reviewed here demonstrate that R. intestinalis plays its role in regulating barrier homeostasis, immune cells, and cytokine release through its metabolite butyrate, flagellin and other. Recent advancements in the application of primary culture technology, culture omics, single-cell sequencing, and metabonomics technology have improved research on Roseburia and revealed the benefits of this bacterium in human health and disease treatment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Océane C.B. Martin ◽  
Deborah Butter ◽  
Eleni Paparouna ◽  
Sofia D.P. Theodorou ◽  
Maria M. Haykal ◽  
...  

SummaryBacterial genotoxins cause DNA damage in eukaryotic cells, resulting in activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) in vitro. These toxins are produced by Gram negative bacteria, enriched in the microbiota of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, their role in infection remains poorly characterized. We have addressed the role of the typhoid toxin in the modulation of the host-microbial interaction in health and disease.Infection with a genotoxigenic Salmonella protected mice from intestinal inflammation. The toxin-induced DNA damage caused senescence in vivo, which was uncoupled from the inflammatory response, and associated with the maintenance of an anti-inflammatory environment. This effect was lost when infection occurred in mice suffering from inflammatory conditions that mimic Ulcerative Colitis, a form of IBD.These data highlight a complex context-dependent crosstalk between bacterial genotoxins-induced DDR and the host immune response, underlining an unexpected role for bacterial genotoxins.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (6) ◽  
pp. G1101-G1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Zeissig ◽  
Arthur Kaser ◽  
Stephanie K. Dougan ◽  
Edward E. S. Nieuwenhuis ◽  
Richard S. Blumberg

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a small subset of unconventional T cells that recognize lipid antigens presented by the nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule CD1d. NKT cells are involved in the host response to a variety of microbial pathogens and likely commensals. In the intestine, invariant and noninvariant NKT cells can be found among intraepithelial lymphocytes and in the lamina propria. Activation of intestinal NKT cells by CD1d-expressing intestinal epithelial cells and professional antigen-presenting cells may contribute to induction of oral tolerance and protection from mucosal infections. On the other hand, sustained and uncontrolled activation of NKT cells may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Here we review the current literature on intestinal NKT cells and their function in the intestine in health and disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (2) ◽  
pp. G103-G111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Jeppsson ◽  
Shanthi Srinivasan ◽  
Bindu Chandrasekharan

We have demonstrated that neuropeptide Y (NPY), abundantly produced by enteric neurons, is an important regulator of intestinal inflammation. However, the role of NPY in the progression of chronic inflammation to tumorigenesis is unknown. We investigated whether NPY could modulate epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, and thus regulate tumorigenesis. Repeated cycles of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) were used to model inflammation-induced tumorigenesis in wild-type (WT) and NPY knockout ( NPY−/−) mice. Intestinal epithelial cell lines (T84) were used to assess the effects of NPY (0.1 µM) on epithelial proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. DSS-WT mice exhibited enhanced intestinal inflammation, polyp size, and polyp number (7.5 ± 0.8) compared with DSS- NPY−/− mice (4 ± 0.5, P < 0.01). Accordingly, DSS-WT mice also showed increased colonic epithelial proliferation (PCNA, Ki67) and reduced apoptosis (TUNEL) compared with DSS- NPY−/− mice. The apoptosis regulating microRNA, miR-375, was significantly downregulated in the colon of DSS-WT (2-fold, P < 0.01) compared with DSS- NPY−/−-mice. In vitro studies indicated that NPY promotes cell proliferation (increase in PCNA and β-catenin, P < 0.05) via phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3-K)-β-catenin signaling, suppressed miR-375 expression, and reduced apoptosis (increase in phospho-Bad). NPY-treated cells also displayed increased c-Myc and cyclin D1, and reduction in p21 ( P < 0.05). Addition of miR-375 inhibitor to cells already treated with NPY did not further enhance the effects induced by NPY alone. Our findings demonstrate a novel regulation of inflammation-induced tumorigenesis by NPY-epithelial cross talk as mediated by activation of PI3-K signaling and downregulation of miR-375. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our work exemplifies a novel role of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in regulating inflammation-induced tumorigenesis via two modalities: first by enhanced proliferation (PI3-K/pAkt), and second by downregulation of microRNA-375 (miR-375)-dependent apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. Our data establish the existence of a microRNA-mediated cross talk between enteric neurons producing NPY and intestinal epithelial cells, and the potential of neuropeptide-regulated miRNAs as potential therapeutic molecules for the management of inflammation-associated tumors in the gut.


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