title: Galectin-3 suppresses mucosal inflammation and reduces disease severity in experimental colitis.
abstract: Galectin-3, a member of the β-galactoside-binding lectin family, expresses in many different immune cells and modulates broad biological functions including cell adhesion, cell activation, cell growth, apoptosis, and inflammation. However, the role of galectin-3 in mucosal immunity or inflammatory bowel diseases is still not clear. We demonstrate here that galectin-3 knockout mice have more severe disease activity in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, indicating that galectin-3 may protect from inflammation in DSS-induced colitis. Furthermore, treating with galectin-3 reduced body weight loss, shortened colonic length, and ameliorated mucosal inflammation in mice having DSS-induced colitis. However, the protective effects of galectin-3 were eliminated by the administration of anti-CD25 mAb. In addition, primary T cells treated with galectin-3 ex vivo induced the expression of FOXP3, ICOS, and PD-1 with a Treg cell phenotype having a suppression function. Moreover, adoptive transfer of galectin-3-treated T cells reduced bowel inflammation and colitis in the T cell transfer colitis model. In conclusion, our results indicate that galectin-3 inhibited colonic mucosa inflammation and reduced disease severity by inducing regulatory T cells, suggesting that it is a potential therapeutic approach in inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  
  
  Galectin-3 offers protection from inflammation in experimental colitis. Galectin-3 knockout mice have more severe disease activity in DSS-induced colitis. Adoptive transfer of galectin-3-treated T cells reduced bowel inflammation. Galectin-3 inhibited colonic mucosa inflammation by inducing regulatory T cells. Galectin-3 is a potential therapeutic approach in inflammatory bowel disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hwei-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Immunology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Jen-Ai Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Immunology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Jen-Ai Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Tsu
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Chyuan
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Immunology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Jen-Ai Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan. phsu8635@ntu.edu.tw.|Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. phsu8635@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ping-Ning
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D003092:Colitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010641:Phenotype; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D037502:Galectin 3; C556694:Icos protein, mouse; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D016264:Dextran Sulfate
keywords: Galectin-3; Inflammatory bowel disease; Regulatory T cells