title: Role of the intestinal tight junction modulator zonulin in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes in BB diabetic-prone rats.
abstract: Increased intestinal permeability has been observed in numerous human autoimmune diseases, including type-1 diabetes (T1D) and its' animal model, the BB-wor diabetic prone rat. We have recently described zonulin, a protein that regulates intercellular tight junctions. The objective of this study was to establish whether zonulin-dependent increased intestinal permeability plays a role in the pathogenesis of T1D. In the BB diabetic-prone rat model of T1D, intestinal intraluminal zonulin levels were elevated 35-fold compared to control BB diabetic-resistant rats. Zonulin up-regulation was coincident with decreased small intestinal transepithelial electrical resistance, and was followed by the production of autoantibodies against pancreatic beta cells, which preceded the onset of clinically evident T1D by approximately 25 days. In those diabetic prone rats that did not progress to diabetes, both intraluminal zonulin and transepithelial electrical resistance were similar to those detected in diabetic-resistant animal controls. Blockade of the zonulin receptor reduced the cumulative incidence of T1D by 70%, despite the persistence of intraluminal zonulin up-regulation. Moreover, treatment responders did not seroconvert to islet cell antibodies. Combined together, these findings suggest that the zonulin-induced loss in small intestinal barrier function is involved in the pathogenesis of T1D in the BB diabetic-prone animal model.
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Biology Research Center and Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Division of Pediatric Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Tammara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapone
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gerarduzzi
authors.forename: Tarcisio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Not
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zielke
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fasano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006242:Haptoglobins; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008297:Male; D010539:Permeability; D011498:Protein Precursors; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006242:Haptoglobins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C024211:islet cell antibody; C408043:zonulin; D002772:Cholera Toxin