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Dec 2006 The Journal of experimental medicine

Vanin-1 licenses inflammatory mediator production by gut epithelial cells and controls colitis by antagonizing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activity.

Authors

Berruyer C, Pouyet L, Millet V, Martin FM, LeGoffic A, Canonici A, Bagnis C, Naquet P, Galland F

Summary

Colitis involves immune cell-mediated tissue injuries, but the contribution of epithelial cells remains largely unclear. Vanin-1 is an epithelial ectoenzyme with a pantetheinase activity that provides cysteamine/cystamine to tissue. Using the 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-colitis model we show here that Vanin-1 deficiency protects from colitis. This protection is reversible by administration of cystamine or bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma antagonist. We further demonstrate that Vanin-1, by antagonizing PPARgamma, licenses the production of inflammatory mediators by intestinal epithelial cells. We propose that Vanin-1 is an epithelial sensor of stress that exerts a dominant control over innate immune responses in tissue. Thus, the Vanin-1/pantetheinase activity might be a new target for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory bowel disease.

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