RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Intestinal crypt cell apoptosis in murine acute graft versus host disease is mediated by tumour necrosis factor α and not by the FasL-Fas interaction: effect of pentoxifylline on the development of mucosal atrophy
JF Gut
JO Gut
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
SP 229
OP 235
DO 10.1136/gut.45.2.229
VO 45
IS 2
A1 E Stüber
A1 A Büschenfeld
A1 A von Freier
A1 T Arendt
A1 U R Fölsch
YR 1999
UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/45/2/229.abstract
AB BACKGROUND Murine T cell mediated acute semiallogeneic graft versus host disease (GVHD) is characterised by lymphocytic infiltrates, crypt hyperplasia, and villous atrophy. It has been shown that programmed cell death (apoptosis) of the crypt epithelium takes place during the intestinal manifestation of acute GVHD.AIMS To investigate which of the two most investigated inductors of apoptosis (Fas ligand (FasL) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α)) is responsible for the induction of apoptosis in this animal model.METHODS Animals undergoing acute semiallogeneic GvH reaction were treated with neutralising anti-TNF-α, two different anti-FasL antibodies, or pentoxifylline.RESULTS Anti-TNF-α application inhibited the appearance of apoptotic cells in the intestinal mucosa, whereas anti-FasL antibodies had no influence on mucosal apoptosis. In addition, the transfer of FasL deficient (gld) donor lymphocytes still induced crypt cell apoptosis, villous atrophy, and crypt hyperplasia. Furthermore, when the animals were treated with pentoxifylline, a known inhibitor of TNF-α secretion in vitro and in vivo, there was significant normalisation of the intestinal morphology accompanied by inhibition of epithelial apoptosis.CONCLUSIONS The FasL-Fas interaction is not involved in the induction of apoptosis during acute GVHD. However, neutralisation of TNF-α by an antibody or by pentoxifylline inhibits the occurrence of apoptosis and of mucosal atrophy in this animal model. These results have implications for the treatment of immunologically mediated human atrophic gut diseases—for example, diet refractory cases of coeliac disease.FasLFas ligandGVHDgraft versus host diseaseTNFtumour necrosis factorIFNinterferonILinterleukinGvHgraft versus host