The role of glucagon-like peptide-2 on apoptosis, cell proliferation, and oxidant-antioxidant system at a mouse model of intestinal injury induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha/actinomycin D.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a multifunctional cytokine, which has the ability to produce cytotoxicity via induction of cell death and cell cycle arrest. Blocking the synthesis of protective proteins through a transcriptional inhibitor such as actinomycin D (Act D) sensitizes many cell types to TNF-α toxicity. Teduglutide, h[Gly(2)]GLP-2, is a protease-resistant synthetic analog of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) which is an intestinotrophic peptide. In this study, we evaluated this potential of GLP-2 on apoptosis, cell proliferation, and oxidant-antioxidant system on a mouse model of intestinal injury induced by TNF-α/Act D. The intestinal injury was induced by intraperitoneal administration of 15 μg/kg TNF-α and 800 μg/kg Act D per mouse. Animals were injected subcutaneously 200 μg/kg h[Gly(2)]GLP-2 every 12 h for 10 consecutive days prior to the administration of TNF-α and Act D. The model of intestinal injury induced by TNF-α/Act D, which is the new animal model for the intestinal disorders, was characterized by the degeneration of intestinal mucosa, an increase in apoptotic index, expression of active caspase-3, lipid peroxidation and glutathione (GSH) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities; a decrease in cell proliferation and catalase (CAT) activity. h[Gly(2)]GLP-2 pretreatment prevented the TNF-α/Act D-induced oxidative injury by a significant reduction in the intestinal injury, apoptotic index, expression of active caspase-3, lipid peroxidation and GSH levels, GPx and SOD activities; a markedly increase in cell proliferation, and CAT activity. These results demonstrate that GLP-2 has a protective, antiapoptotic, proliferative, and antioxidant effects against to TNF-α/Act D-induced intestinal injury. It is suggested that GLP-2 may potentially be useful as a therapeutic agent in TNF-α-mediated intestinal disorders.