The Role of Neuropeptide Y in Colitis
Author Information
Author(s): Bindu Chandrasekharan, Vanitha Bala, Vasantha L. Kolachala, Matam Vijay-Kumar, Dean Jones, Andrew T. Gewirtz, Shanthi V. Sitaraman, Shanthi Srinivasan
Primary Institution: Emory University
Hypothesis
An increase in neuropeptide Y (NPY) leads to an increase in nNOS neurons, resulting in increased oxidative stress, thereby aggravating colonic inflammation.
Conclusion
NPY mediated increase in nNOS is a determinant of oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation.
Supporting Evidence
- DSS/S.T. induced an increase in enteric neuronal NPY and nNOS expression in WT mice.
- WT mice were more susceptible to inflammation compared to NPY−/− as indicated by higher clinical & histological scores.
- The lower histological scores in NPY−/− mice supported the finding that loss of NPY-induced nNOS attenuated inflammation.
- NPY−/− mice exhibited less inflammation with an overall clinical score of 4±0.7 compared to a score of 9±0.5 in DSS-WT mice.
Takeaway
This study shows that a substance called neuropeptide Y can make inflammation in the gut worse, and that removing it helps reduce this inflammation.
Methodology
Colitis was induced in mice using dextran sodium sulfate and Salmonella, and inflammation was assessed through clinical scores, histological scores, and myeloperoxidase activity.
Participant Demographics
Mice used in the study included wild type and various knockout strains.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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