title: Erythropoietin attenuates intestinal inflammation and promotes tissue regeneration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Since patients usually need long-term treatment and suffer from reduced quality of life, there is a need to develop new therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of erythropoietin (EPO) for the treatment of IBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Murine colitis was induced by 3.0% Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS). Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) was given to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects on intestinal inflammation. The effect of rhEPO on human colon epithelial cells was also evaluated. Immunohistochemical analysis of EPO receptor was performed in human IBD tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While about 62% of control mice with severe colitis induced by 5-day DSS died, 85% of mice treated with rhEPO survived. Histological analysis confirmed that EPO treatment reduced the colonic inflammation. Furthermore, EPO treatment significantly downregulated the local expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α and E-selectin in the colon, suggesting that the effect was associated with inhibiting local immune activation. In a 4-day DSS-induced colitis model, rhEPO significantly improved the recovery of body weight loss compared to controls. Furthermore, proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression was significantly upregulated in the colon tissue from mice treated with rhEPO compared to controls. In addition, rhEPO increased the growth of cultured human colon epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, EPO-receptor expression was confirmed in human IBD colon tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three major functions of EPO, hematopoiesis, anti-inflammation and regeneration, may produce significant effects on intestinal inflammation, therefore suggesting that rhEPO might be useful for IBD.
authors: Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University , Nara , Japan.
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Nakamura
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Sho
authors: Fumikazu
authors: F
authors: Koyama
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Ueda
authors: Naoto
authors: N
authors: Nishigori
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Inoue
authors: Takayuki
authors: T
authors: Nakamoto
authors: Hisao
authors: H
authors: Fujii
authors: Shusaku
authors: S
authors: Yoshikawa
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Inatsugi
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016264:Dextran Sulfate
keywords: cytokine; erythropoietin; inflammatory bowel disease; intestine; tissue regeneration