Open AccessButyrate enemas upregulate Muc genes expression but decrease adherent mucus thickness in mice colon
Author(s) -
Estelle Gaudier,
Madina Rival,
Buisine Mp,
I Robineau,
Christine Hoebler
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931271
Subject(s) - butyrate , mucin , mucus , mucin 2 , secretion , downregulation and upregulation , gene expression , chemistry , homeostasis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , biochemistry , gene , fermentation , ecology
Colonic mucosal protection is provided by the mucus gel, mainlycomposed of mucins. Several factors can modulate the formationand the secretion of mucins, and among them butyrate, an endproduct of carbohydrate fermentation. However, the specificeffect of butyrate on the various colonic mucins, and theconsequences in terms of the mucus layer thickness are notknown. Our aim was to determine whether butyrate modulatescolonic MUC genes expression in vivo and whether this results inchanges in mucus synthesis and mucus layer thickness. Micereceived daily for 7 days rectal enemas of butyrate (100 mM)versus saline. We demonstrated that butyrate stimulated thegene expression of both secreted (Muc2) and membrane-linked(Muc1, Muc3, Muc4) mucins. Butyrate especially induced a 6-foldincrease in Muc2 gene expression in proximal colon. However,butyrate enemas did not modify the number of epithelial cellscontaining the protein Muc2, and caused a 2-fold decrease in thethickness of adherent mucus layer. Further studies should helpunderstanding whether this last phenomenon, i.e. the decreasein adherent mucus gel thickness, results in a diminishedprotective function or not.