Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

    Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(2):R53. Epub 2009 Apr 8.

    Vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibits TNF-alpha-induced apoptotic events in acinar cells from nonobese diabetic mice submandibular glands.

    Calafat M, Larocca L, Roca V, Hauk V, Pregi N, Nesse A, Pérez Leirós C.

    Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mcalafat@qb.fcen.uba.ar

    INTRODUCTION: The role of apoptotic secretory epithelium as a pro-inflammatory triggering factor of exocrine dysfunction is currently explored in Sjogren's syndrome patients and in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has anti-inflammatory effects in various models of chronic inflammation. Our goal was to analyse the effect of TNF-alpha on apoptotic mediators in isolated acinar cells from NOD submandibular gland and their modulation by VIP. METHODS: Acinar cells were isolated from submandibular glands of 16-week-old NOD females with salivary flow decline. Age-matched BALB/c females or eight-week-old NOD females were used as controls. Apoptotic mediators and TNF-alpha receptor expression were assessed by immunoblotting and RT-PCR, caspase 3 activity was assessed by optical density at 405 nm with Ac-DEVD-pNA as a substrate and chromatin condensation by Hoechst stain. They were evaluated in resting conditions and after a 3.5 or 6 hours of culture with TNF-alpha. VIP effects in acinar cells were assessed at 100 nM in TNF-alpha-treated cultures and VIP receptor functional assays by radio immunoassay (cAMP) or enzymatic detection (amylase). RESULTS: NOD acinar cells at 16 weeks present an increased expression of TNF-alpha receptor1 together with increased Bax, tumour protein 53-induced nuclear protein1alpha (TP53INP1alpha), caspase 3 activity and chromatin condensation. Acini from NOD mice were more sensitive to TNF-alpha-induced increases of apoptotic mediators than control cells. VIP inhibited TNF-alpha-induced apoptotic events through functional VPAC1 receptors coupled to the protein kinase A (PKA) signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that acinar cells isolated from submandibular glands of NOD mice with salivary dysfunction are more sensitive to apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha which could be prevented by VIP through a PKA-mediated pathway.

    PMID: 19356238 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

    PMCID: PMC2688204

    Supplemental Content

    Click here to read Click here to read