Allyl isothiocyanate ameliorates angiogenesis and inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium-induced acute colitis

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 22;9(7):e102975. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102975. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables that has known chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities. Thus far, the antiangiogenic activity of AITC has not been reported in in vivo studies. Herein, we investigated the effect of AITC on angiogenesis and inflammation in a mouse model of colitis. Experimental colitis was induced in mice by administering 3% dextran sulfate sodium via drinking water. To monitor the activity of AITC in this model, we measured body weight, disease activity indices, histopathological scores, microvascular density, myeloperoxidase activity, F4/80 staining, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A/VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) expression in the mice. We found that AITC-treated mice showed less weight loss, fewer clinical signs of colitis, and longer colons than vehicle-treated mice. AITC treatment also significantly lessened the disruption of colonic architecture that is normally associated with colitis and repressed the microvascularization response. Further, AITC treatment reduced both leukocyte recruitment and macrophage infiltration into the inflamed colon, and the mechanism these activities involved repressing iNOS and COX-2 expression. Finally, AITC attenuated the expression of VEGF-A and VEGFR2. Thus, AITC may have potential application in treating conditions marked by inflammatory-driven angiogenesis and mucosal inflammation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Colitis / chemically induced
  • Colitis / metabolism
  • Colitis / prevention & control*
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / pathology
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism
  • Dextran Sulfate
  • Food Preservatives / pharmacology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Isothiocyanates / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / prevention & control*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • Food Preservatives
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • monocyte-macrophage differentiation antigen
  • Dextran Sulfate
  • allyl isothiocyanate
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Kdr protein, mouse
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Korea Food Research Institute, Republic of Korea. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.