Substance P modulates colitis-associated fibrosis

Am J Pathol. 2010 Nov;177(5):2300-9. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.100314. Epub 2010 Oct 1.

Abstract

Substance P (SP) and the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) are involved in the development of colitis and mucosal healing after colonic inflammation. We studied whether SP modulates colonic fibrosis by using a chronic model of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in wild-type (WT) and NK-1R-deficient (NK-1R KD) mice. We found increased mRNA expression levels of collagen, vimentin, and the fibrogenic factors transforming growth factor β1 and insulin-like growth factor 1 in the chronically inflamed colons of WT mice treated with repeated intracolonic TNBS administrations. Fibrosis in TNBS-treated mice was also evident immunohistochemically by collagen deposition in the colon. Treatment of TNBS-exposed WT mice with the NK-1R antagonist CJ-12255 reduced colonic inflammation, colonic fibrosis, fibroblast accumulation, and expression levels of the fibrogenic factors. NK-1R knockout mice chronically exposed to TNBS had similar colonic inflammation compared with WT, but reduced colonic fibrosis, fibroblast accumulation, and expression levels of fibrogenic factors. Immunohistochemical staining also showed co-localization of NK-1R with fibroblasts in inflamed colons of mice and in colonic mucosa of patients with Crohn's disease. Exposure of human colonic CCD-18Co fibroblasts to SP (10 nmol/L) increased cell migration. SP stimulated collagen synthesis in CCD-18Co fibroblasts in the presence of transforming growth factor β1 and insulin-like growth factor 1, and this effect was reduced by Akt inhibition. Thus, SP, via NK-1R, promotes intestinal fibrogenesis after chronic colitis by stimulating fibrotic responses in fibroblasts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Colitis / chemically induced
  • Colitis / metabolism*
  • Colitis / pathology*
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • Colon / cytology
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / pathology
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects*
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / cytology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / genetics
  • Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / metabolism*
  • Substance P / pharmacology*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / pharmacology
  • Vimentin / metabolism

Substances

  • 6-diphenylmethyl-5-(5-isopropyl-2-methoxybenzylamino)-1-azabicyclo(2.2.2)octane-3-carboxylic acid
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
  • Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
  • Receptors, Neurokinin-1
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Vimentin
  • Substance P
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid
  • Collagen
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt