Periodontal disease is a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory disease and is associated with complex microbial infection in the subgingival cavity. Recently, American Heart Association supported a ...century old association between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease. We have recently shown that polybacterial periodontal infection led to aortic atherosclerosis and modulation of lipid profiles; however the underlying mechanism(s) has not been yet demonstrated. Altered nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a cofactor for nitric oxide synthases (NOS) has long been shown to be associated with vascular dysfunction and gastrointestinal motility disorders. We sought to examine the mechanism of periodontal infection leading to altered vascular and gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxation, focusing on the BH4/nNOS pathways. In addition, we also have investigated how the antioxidant system (NRF2-Phase II enzyme expression) in vascular and GI specimens is altered by oral infection. Eight week old male ApoEnull mice were either sham-infected or infected orally for 16 weeks with a mixture of major periodontal bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia to induce experimental periodontitis. Serum, vascular (mesenteric), stomach, and colon specimens were collected at the end of periodontal pathogen infection. Bacterial infection induced significant (p<0.05) reductions in the levels of BH4,in ratio of BH4:BH2+B and also in nitric oxide levels compared to sham-infected controls. In addition, we identified a significant (p<0.05) reduction in eNOS dimerization, nNOS dimerization and protein expression of BH4 biosynthesis enzymes; GCH-1, DHFR and NRF2 & Phase II enzymes in infected mice versus controls in both mesenteric artery and colon tissues. However, we found no differences in nNOS/BH4 protein expression in stomach tissues of infected and sham-infected mice. This suggests that a polybacterial infection can cause significant changes in the vascular and colonic BH4/nNOS/NRF2 pathways which might lead to impaired vascular relaxation and colonic motility.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and Aim
Gastric motility dysfunction is most commonly seen in diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis patients. Recently we reported that impaired nitrergic relaxation and a reduced NO ...(nitric oxide) bioavailability were responsible for gastric motility dysfunction in diabetic female rats. One of the main factors involved in the inactivation of the nitrergic system is oxidative stress commonly seen in diabetic patients. Hyperlipidemia may also be one of the detrimental causes for impaired gastric motility associated with diabetes. In the current study, we investigated whether apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoE-KO), an oxidative stress animal model with a hyperlipidemia burden, also displays an impaired nitrergic system. To test this, nitrergic relaxation (AUC/mg tissue) was measured at 2 Hz through electric field stimulation using gastric pyloric strips prepared from C57BL WT or ApoE-KO female mice. Protein expression was determined by Western blots.
Results
Nitrergic relaxation was reduced in gastric strips from ApoE-KO versus WT mice. Protein levels of nNOS (neuronal nitric oxide synthase), GCH-1 (GTP cyclohydrolase 1), Nrf2 (nuclear factor E-2 related factor 2) and GCSc (glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic) were also reduced in ApoE-KO compared to controls, with no significant change in GCSm (glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier) and HO-1 (heme oxygenase 1). The activities of DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) and antioxidant enzymes were also reduced in ApoE-KO mice.
Conclusions
This novel study is the first to reveal that a deficiency in ApoE impairs gastric motility functions, and that hyperlipidemia and the suppression of selective antioxidants may be an underlying mechanism for this pathological change.
An impaired nitrergic system and altered redox signaling contribute to gastric dysmotility in diabetics. Our earlier studies show that NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and phase II antioxidant enzymes ...play a vital role in gastric neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) function. This study aims to investigate whether supplementation of sepiapterin (SEP), a precursor for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH
) (a cofactor of NOS) via the salvage pathway, restores altered nitrergic systems and redox balance in spontaneous diabetic (DB) female rats. Twelve-week spontaneous DB and age-matched, non-DB rats, with and without dietary SEP (daily 20 mg/kg body wt for 10 days) treatment, were used in this study. Gastric antrum muscular tissues were excised to investigate the effects of SEP in nitrergic relaxation and the nNOS-nitric oxide (NO)-NRF2 pathway(s). Dietary SEP supplementation significantly ( P < 0.05) reverted diabetes-induced changes in nNOS dimerization and function; nitric oxide (NO) downstream signaling molecules; HSP-90, a key regulator of nNOSα activity and dimerization; miRNA-28 that targets NRF2 messenger RNA (mRNA), and levels of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis pathway components, such as DGCR8 (DiGeorge Syndrome Critical Region Gene 8) and TRBP (HIV1-1 transactivating response RNA-binding protein). These findings emphasize the importance of the BH
pathway in regulating gastric motility functions in DB animals by modulating nNOSα dimerization in association with changes in enteric NRF2 and NO downstream signaling. Our results also identify a new pathway, wherein SEP regulates NRF2 mRNA turnover by suppressing elevated miRNA-28, which could be related to alterations in miRNA biogenesis pathway components. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to show a causal link between NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in gastric motility function. Our data demonstrate that critical regulators of the miRNA biosynthetic pathway are upregulated in the diabetic (DB) setting; these regulators were rescued by sepiapterin (SEP) treatment. Finally, we show that low dihydrofolate reductase expression may lead to impaired nNOS dimerization/function-reduced nitric oxide downstream signaling and elevate oxidative stress by suppressing the NRF2/phase II pathway through miRNA; SEP treatment restored all of the above in DB gastric muscular tissue. We suggest that tetrahydrobiopterin supplementation may be a useful therapy for patients with diabetes, as well as women with idiopathic gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis is a debilitating disease predominantly affecting young women. Recently, dysregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in myenteric plexus neurons has been implicated for ...delayed solid gastric emptying/gastroparesis in diabetic patients. In this study, we have explored the role of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a major cofactor for nNOS activity and NO synthesis in diabetic gastroparesis. Diabetes was induced with single injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body wt, ip) in female rats, with experiments performed on week 3 or 9 following induction, with or without 3-wk BH4 supplementation. Gastric pyloric BH4 levels were significantly decreased in diabetic female rats compared with control (18.6 +/- 1.45 vs. 31.0 +/- 2.31 pmol/mg protein). In vitro studies showed that 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP), an inhibitor of BH4 synthesis, significantly decreased gastric NO release and nitrergic relaxation. Three-week dietary supplementation of BH4 either from day 1 or week 6 significantly attenuated diabetes-induced delayed gastric emptying for solids (3 wk: BH4, 67 +/- 6.7 vs. diabetic, 36.05 +/- 7.09; 9 wk: BH4, 57 +/- 8.45 vs. diabetic, 33 +/- 9.91) and diabetes-induced reduction in pyloric nNOS-alpha protein expression in female rats. Supplementation of BH4 significantly restored gastric nNOS-alpha dimerization in 9-wk-old diabetic female rats. In addition, BH4 treatment reversed (17.23 +/- 5.81 vs. 42.0 +/- 2.70 mmHg x s) the diabetes-induced changes in intragastric pressures (IGP) and gastric pyloric nitrergic relaxation (-0.62 +/- 0.01 vs. -0.22 +/- 0.07). BH4 deficiency plays a critical role in diabetes-induced alterations including delayed solid gastric emptying, increased IGP, reduced pyloric nitrergic relaxation, and nNOS-alpha expression in female rats. Supplementation of BH4 accelerates gastric emptying by restoring nitrergic system in diabetic female rats. Therefore, BH4 supplementation is a potential therapeutic option for female patients of diabetic gastroparesis.
Abstract only
Gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) affects predominantly females more than males specifically due to loss of nitrergic (neurons release nitric oxide) dependent stomach motility ...function. We hypothesize that reduced levels of estradiol‐17β (E
2
) down‐regulates BH
4
biosynthesis and therefore nNOS mediated gastric motility is impaired in a mouse model of chronic estrogen deficiency, follicle stimulating hormone receptor knock‐out female mice (FORKO). In‐bred 12 week old female FORKO mice were obtained from our local FORKO breeding colony. In FORKO, compared to wild type (WT) stomachs we find, 1) greater reduction in nitregic relaxation (WT
vs.
−/‐; −0.28±0.01
vs.
−0.16±0.01); 2) increased nNOS dimerization (WT
vs.
−/‐; 0.34±0.05
vs.
0.48±0.02) (p<0.05); 3) decreased GTPCH1 (WT
vs.
−/‐; 2.4±0.07
vs.
1.8±0.14) and DHFR (WT
vs.
−/‐; 0.24±0.03
vs.
0.02±0.00) and 4) increased oxidized biopterin levels and decreased ratio of BH
4
vs. BH
2
+B (p<0.05). Diabetes induction by HFD significantly (p<0.05) reduced both gastric GTPCH1 and nNOSα protein expression. Chronic estrogen deficiency alters both BH
4
and nNOS system and thus contributes for the development of gastroparesis in female. In addition, HFD induced diabetes impaired both GTPCH1 and nNOSα protein expression. Our studies may offer a potential therapeutic approach to treat gastroparesis in both type 1 and type 11 diabetes women. Funding: grants from RCMI, DRTC, R21 (PG).
Background In the current study, we have investigated whether low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice (LDLR‐KO), moderate oxidative stress model and cholesteremia burden display gastroparesis ...and if so whether nitrergic system is involved in this setting. In addition, we have investigated if sepiapterin (SEP) supplementation attenuated impaired nitrergic system and delayed gastric emptying.
Methods Gastric emptying and nitrergic relaxation were measured in overnight fasting mice. nNOSα dimerization, anti‐oxidant markers such as Nrf2, GCLM, GCLC, HO‐1, catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD1) were measured using standard methods. Biopterin levels and intestinal transit time were measured using HPLC and dye migration assay, respectively. Wild type (WT) and LDLR‐KO were supplemented with SEP.
Key Results In LDLR null stomachs: (i) significant reduction in rate of gastric emptying, gastric pyloric and fundus nitrergic relaxation and nNOSα dimerization, (ii) elevated oxidized biopterins and reduced ratio of BH4/BH2 + B, (iii) reduced Nrf2 and GCLC protein expression and no change in GCLM, HO‐1, CAT, SOD1, and (iv) accelerated small intestinal motility were noticed. Supplementation of SEP restored delayed gastric emptying, impaired pyloric and fundus nitrergic relaxation with restoration of nNOS dimerization and nNOS expression.
Conclusions & Inferences This novel data suggests that hyperlipidemia and/or suppression of selective antioxidants may be a potential cause of developing gastroparesis in diabetic patients.