Gut. Published Online First: 15 January 2008. doi:10.1136/gut.2007.129296
Paper |
Enterochromaffin cell and 5-hydroxytryptamine responses to the same infectious agent differ in Th1 and Th2 dominant environments
1 Intestinal Disease Research Program, McMaster University, Canada
2 University of Manchester, United Kingdom
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: khanwal{at}mcmaster.ca.
Accepted 21 November 2007
Abstract
Background/Aim: 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) released from enterochromaffin (EC) cells influences intestinal homeostasis by altering gut physiology and is implicated in the pathophysiology of various gut disorders. However, the mechanisms regulating 5-HT production in the gut remain unclear. This study investigated the Th1/Th2 based immuno-regulation of EC cell function and 5-HT production in a model of enteric infection.
Methods & Results: Trichuris muris infected AKR (susceptible to infection and generates Th1 response), BALB/c (resistant to infection and generates Th2 response), Stat4 deficient (impaired in Th1 response) and Stat6 deficient (impaired in Th2 response) mice were investigated to assess EC cells, 5-HT and cytokines. In association with generation of Th2 response we observed higher EC cells numbers and 5-HT amount in colon of BALB/c mice compared to AKR mice. Numbers of EC cells and amount of 5-HT were significantly lower in Stat6 deficient mice following infection as compared to Stat4 deficient mice. In addition, EC cells numbers and 5-HT amount were significantly higher following reconstitution of SCID mice with in vitro polarized Th2 cells.
Conclusion: We demonstrate that EC cell and 5-HT responses to the same infectious agent are influenced by Th1 or Th2 cytokine predominance and clearly suggest that the immunological profile of the inflammatory response is important in regulation of EC cell biology in the gut. In addition to new data on EC cell function in enteric infection and inflammation, this study provides important information on immuno-endocrine axis in the gut which may ultimately lead to improved strategies against gut disorders.
Keywords: 5-HT, Enteric Infection, Enterochromaffin cell, Stat4/Stat6, Th1/Th2
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Relevant Article
- Digest
- Robin Spiller and Magnus Simren
Gut 2008 57: 1-2.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
- Full Text (Rapid PDF)
- Correction (v57,p1340)
-
All Versions of this Article:
gut.2007.129296v1
57/4/475 most recent - Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
