Evidence of functional cross talk between the Notch and NF-κB pathways in nonneoplastic hyperproliferating colonic epithelium

Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2013 Feb 15;304(4):G356-70. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00372.2012. Epub 2012 Nov 29.

Abstract

The Notch and NF-κB signaling pathways regulate stem cell function and inflammation in the gut, respectively. We investigate whether a functional cross talk exists between the two pathways during transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (TMCH) caused by Citrobacter rodentium (CR). During TMCH, NF-κB activity and subunit phosphorylation in colonic crypts of NIH Swiss mice at days 6 and 12 were associated with increases in downstream target CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)-1/keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) expression. Blocking Notch signaling acutely for 5 days with the Notch blocker dibenzazepine (DBZ) failed to inhibit crypt NF-κB activity or CXCL-1/KC expression. Chronic DBZ administration for 10 days, however, blocked Notch and NF-κB signaling in the crypts and abrogated hyperplasia. Intriguingly, chronic Notch inhibition was associated with significant increases in IL-1α, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein 2, and KC in the crypt-denuded lamina propria or whole distal colon, with concomitant increases in myeloperoxidase activity. In core-3(-/-) mice, which are defective in intestinal mucin, DBZ administration replicated the results of NIH Swiss mice; in Apc(Min/+) mice, which are associated with CR-induced elevation of NF-κB-p65(276) expression, DBZ reversed the increase in NF-κB-p65(276), which may have blocked rapid proliferation of the mutated crypts. DBZ further blocked reporter activities involving the NF-κB-luciferase reporter plasmid or the Toll-like receptor 4/NF-κB/SEAPorter HEK-293 reporter cell line, while ectopic expression of Notch-N(ICD) reversed the inhibitory effect. Dietary bael (Aegle marmelos) extract (4%) and curcumin (4%) restored Notch and NF-κB cross talk in NIH Swiss mice, inhibited CR/DBZ-induced apoptosis in the crypts, and promoted crypt regeneration. Thus functional cross talk between the Notch and NF-κB pathways during TMCH regulates hyperplasia and/or inflammation in response to CR infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Chemokines / biosynthesis
  • Citrobacter rodentium*
  • Colitis / etiology
  • Colitis / physiopathology*
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Curcumin / pharmacology
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Dibenzazepines / pharmacology
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / physiopathology*
  • Mice
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • NF-kappa B / physiology*
  • Receptors, Notch / drug effects
  • Receptors, Notch / physiology*

Substances

  • Chemokines
  • Cytokines
  • Dibenzazepines
  • NF-kappa B
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Curcumin
  • dibenzazepine