title: Keratinocyte growth factor up-regulates Interleukin-7 expression following intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epithelial cell (EC)-derived Interleukin-7 (IL-7) plays a crucial role in control of neighboring intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) development and homeostasis, and IEL derived keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) promotes intestinal epithelial growth, which was regulated by EC-derived IL-7. On this basis, we hypothesize that there is a crosstalk between IELs and ECs, and KGF could regulate the EC-derived IL-7 expression, which should be associated with the protective effects by KGF on intestinal injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histological evaluation was performed in small intestine tissues of patients with intestinal obstruction and IL-7 expression was detected by immunofluorescence. Intestinal epithelial cells (LoVo) and adult C57BL/6J mice undergoing ischemia/reperfusion injury were treated with recombinant KGF. KGF, KGF receptor(KGFR) and IL-7 expressions were measured with western blot and immunofluorescence analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-7 expression increased in the mild ischemia while decreased in severe ischemia small intestinal tissues of patients with intestinal obstruction. KGF expression significantly decreased while IL-7 expression increased early after acute intestinal I/R administration in a mouse model. KGF treatment significantly increased the IL-7 expression both in vitro and in vivo, while when the KGFR was blocked, the findings above were absent. In addition, our results showed changes of IL-7 expression at different stages after acute intestinal I/R administration, KGF treatment significantly attenuated the decreasing of IL-7 expression caused by acute intestinal I/R.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  KGF could up-regulate the IL-7 expression both in vitro and in vivo through KGFR pathway, which should have associated with the protective effects of KGF in intestinal injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Jiao
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Wen-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Teitelbaum
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051523:Fibroblast Growth Factor 7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D019138:Antibodies, Blocking; D015851:Interleukin-7; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D051523:Fibroblast Growth Factor 7; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2; C065104:keratinocyte growth factor receptor