NKX2-3 Transcriptional Regulation of Endothelin-1 and VEGF Signaling in Human Intestinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells
2011

NKX2-3's Role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Sample size: 63 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Yu Wei, Hegarty John P., Berg Arthur, Chen Xi, West Gail, Kelly Ashley A., Wang Yunhua, Poritz Lisa S., Koltun Walter A., Lin Zhenwu

Primary Institution: Pennsylvania State University

Hypothesis

NKX2-3 regulates genes involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells.

Conclusion

NKX2-3 may play an important role in IBD pathogenesis by regulating endothelin-1 and VEGF signaling in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells.

Supporting Evidence

  • NKX2-3 expression was suppressed by shRNA in two HIMEC lines.
  • 1746 genes were affected by NKX2-3 knockdown in HIMEC 21B cells.
  • Expression levels of NKX2-3, VEGFA, PI3K, AKT, and eNOS are increased in intestinal tissues from IBD patients.
  • Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between NKX2-3 and VEGFA expression.
  • NKX2-3 knockdown activated MAPK through the EDN1 pathway.

Takeaway

NKX2-3 is a gene that helps control other genes involved in inflammation, and it might be important for understanding diseases like Crohn's and colitis.

Methodology

The study used shRNA to suppress NKX2-3 expression in two human intestinal microvascular endothelial cell lines and analyzed gene expression using cDNA microarray.

Participant Demographics

{"Crohn's_disease":{"n":31,"sex":"14 males, 17 females","average_age":39.9},"Ulcerative_colitis":{"n":32,"sex":"16 males, 16 females","average_age":48.4}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.0001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0020454

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