title: TNF-induced enterocyte apoptosis and detachment in mice: induction of caspases and prevention by a caspase inhibitor, ZVAD-fmk.
abstract: Injection of mouse recombinant TNF to mice induced apoptosis and detachment of the enterocytes of the tip of the villi, evident after 30 to 90 minutes, which resulted in a shrinkage of the villi. Injection of TNF increased the expression of caspase 1, 2, 3, and 6 as well as of cathepsin D in the mucosal wall, which was maximal 30 minutes after TNF injection. Caspase 1 and 3 were not induced in TNFR1-deficient mice in which TNF does not induce apoptosis and detachment. The administration of a caspase inhibitor (ZVAD-fmk, 300 microg) decreased enterocyte detachment and apoptosis, as well as villus atrophy, whereas a caspase 3 inhibitor (Z-DEVD-cmk) had no effect. The results indicate that the induction of caspases by TNF is the cause of their detachment in the lumen and of the resulting villus atrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Geneva, Switzerland. pierre.piguet@medecine.unige.ch
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Piguet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vesin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barazzone
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone