Herbs-partitioned moxibustion alleviates aberrant intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis by upregulating A20 expression in a mouse model of Crohn's disease

World J Gastroenterol. 2019 May 7;25(17):2071-2085. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i17.2071.

Abstract

Background: A20 inhibits intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis in Crohn's disease, and herbs-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for Crohn's disease. However, the mechanism by which HPM reduces intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis in Crohn's disease has not been thoroughly elucidated to date.

Aim: To elucidate whether HPM exerts its effects by upregulating A20 to affect intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis in a Crohn's disease mouse model.

Methods: In this study, mice with A20 deletion in intestinal epithelial cells (A20IEC-KO) were utilized to establish a Crohn's disease mouse model with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) administration, as well as wild-type mice. Mice were randomly divided into normal control (NC), model control (MC), mesalazine (MESA), and HPM groups. The morphology of the colonic mucosa was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and serum endotoxin and apoptosis of epithelial cells were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and terminal dUTP nick-end labeling assay accordingly. The protein expression levels of A20 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1)-related signaling molecules were evaluated by Western blot, and co-expression of A20 and TNFR1-associated death domain (TRADD) and co-expression of A20 and receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1) were observed by double immunofluorescence staining.

Results: The intestinal epithelial barrier was noted to have an improvement in the HPM group of wild-type (WT) mice compared with that in A20IEC-KO mice. Compared with A20 IEC-KO HPM mice, serum endotoxin levels and apoptosis percentages were decreased (P < 0.01), A20 expression levels were increased (P < 0.01), and expression of TNFR1, TRADDD, and RIP1 was decreased in the HPM group of WT mice (P TNFR1 < 0.05, P TRADD < 0.01, P RIP1 < 0.01). Both of the co-expression of A20/TRADD and A20/RIP1 showed a predominantly yellow fluorescence in the HPM group of WT mice, while a predominantly red fluorescence was noted in the HPM group of A20IEC-KO mice.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HPM in treating Crohn's disease functions possibly via upregulation of the A20 expression level, resulting in downregulation of TNFR1, TRADD, and RIP1 to alleviate increased cell apoptosis in the intestinal epithelial barrier in Crohn's disease.

Keywords: A20; Apoptotic pathway; Crohn’s disease; Herbs-partitioned moxibustion; Inflammation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Colon / pathology
  • Crohn Disease / metabolism*
  • Crohn Disease / therapy*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology*
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Intestinal Mucosa / cytology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology*
  • Mesalamine / therapeutic use
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Moxibustion*
  • Permeability
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / metabolism
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Death Domain Protein / metabolism
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-Induced Protein 3 / metabolism*
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • Ralbp1 protein, mouse
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Death Domain Protein
  • Tnfrsf1a protein, mouse
  • Tradd protein, mouse
  • Mesalamine
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-Induced Protein 3
  • Tnfaip3 protein, mouse