5-Fluorouracil Induces Enteric Neuron Death and Glial Activation During Intestinal Mucositis via a S100B-RAGE-NFκB-Dependent Pathway

Sci Rep. 2019 Jan 24;9(1):665. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36878-z.

Abstract

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an anticancer agent whose main side effects include intestinal mucositis associated with intestinal motility alterations maybe due to an effect on the enteric nervous system (ENS), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this report, we used an animal model to investigate the participation of the S100B/RAGE/NFκB pathway in intestinal mucositis and enteric neurotoxicity caused by 5-FU (450 mg/kg, IP, single dose). 5-FU induced intestinal damage observed by shortened villi, loss of crypt architecture and intense inflammatory cell infiltrate as well as increased GFAP and S100B co-expression and decreased HuC/D protein expression in the small intestine. Furthermore, 5-FU increased RAGE and NFκB NLS immunostaining in enteric neurons, associated with a significant increase in the nitrite/nitrate, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, iNOS expression and MDA accumulation in the small intestine. We provide evidence that 5-FU induces reactive gliosis and reduction of enteric neurons in a S100B/RAGE/NFκB-dependent manner, since pentamidine, a S100B inhibitor, prevented 5-FU-induced neuronal loss, enteric glia activation, intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress and histological injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Enteric Nervous System / pathology
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology*
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mucositis / metabolism
  • Mucositis / pathology*
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism*
  • Neuroglia / drug effects*
  • Neuroglia / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products / metabolism*
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factor RelA / metabolism

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • NF-kappa B
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products
  • S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit
  • S100b protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factor RelA
  • glial fibrillary astrocytic protein, mouse
  • Fluorouracil