title: Mucus mediated protection against acute colitis in adiponectin deficient mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute ulcerative colitis is an inflammation-driven condition of the bowel. It hampers the general homeostasis of gut, resulting in decreased mucus production and epithelial cell renewal. Adiponectin (APN), an adipocytokine, is secreted by the adipose tissue and has been debated both as a pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory protein depending on the disease condition and microenvironment. The present study delineates the role of APN depletion in mucus modulation in a model of acute colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  APNKO and C57BL/6 (WT) male mice were given 2% DSS ad libidum for 5 days in drinking water, followed by normal drinking water for the next 5 days. Hematoxyline-eosin and Alcian Blue staining was used to observe the general colonic morphology and goblet cell quantification respectively. Protein expression levels were quantified by Western blot for MATH1, Hes1, MUC2 and MUC4. ELISA was used to study the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APNKO mice showed significantly higher goblet to epithelial cell ratios, lower pro-inflammatory cytokines and higher MUC2 levels as compared to the WT mice. The protein expression levels for the mucin MUC2 supported the histopathological findings. An increase in colon tissue-secreted levels of pro-inflammatory with a reduction in anti-inflammatory cytokines in presence of APN support the pro-inflammatory role of APN during acute inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Absence of APN is protective against DSS-induced acute colonic inflammation by means of reducing colon tissue-secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulating goblet and epithelial cell expressions, and increasing the levels of secretory mucin MUC2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.|Arnold School of Public Health, Applied Physiology Division, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St. room 303B, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Kamaljeet
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Arpit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Biyani
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Father Muller Medical College, Kankanady, Bangalore, Karnataka 560078 India.
authors.forename: Manjeshwar Shrinath
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Baliga
authors.affiliation: Fortis-Totipotent RX Centre for Cellular Medicine, Delhi, 122002 India.
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ponemone
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.|Center for Colon Cancer Research, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Anindya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.|Center for Colon Cancer Research, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fayad
keywords: Adiponectin; Colitis; Inflammation; Mucin