Elevated ER stress exacerbates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in PRDX4-knockout mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4), a secretory protein that is preferentially retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), is encoded by a gene located on the X chromosome and highly expressed in colonic tissue. In this study, we investigated the role of PRDX4 by means of male PRDX4-knockout (PRDX4) mice in the development of intestinal inflammation using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Acute colitis was induced with DSS (2.5% in drinking water) in wild-type (WT) and PRDX4 male C57BL/6 mice. Histological and biochemical analyses were performed on the colonic tissues.

RESULTS

PRDX4 was mainly localized in the colonic epithelial cells in WT mice. The disease activity index (DAI) scores of PRDX4 mice were significantly higher compared to those of WT mice. Specifically, PRDX4 mice showed marked body weight loss and shortening of colon length compared to WT mice, whereas the myeloperoxidase levels were increased in PRDX4 compared to WT mice. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly higher in the colonic mucosa of PRDX4 compared to WT mice. Moreover, the levels of CHOP and activated caspase 3 were higher in the colonic tissues of PRDX4 compared to WT mice following treatment with DSS. The ER also showed greater expansion in PRDX4 than WT mice, which was consistent with severe ER stress under PRDX4 deficiency.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that the lack of PRDX4 aggravated the colonic mucosal damage induced by DSS. Because PRDX4 functions as an ER thiol oxidase as well as an antioxidant, DSS induced oxidative damage and ER stress to a greater degree in PRDX4 than WT mice. These findings suggest that PRDX4 may represent a novel therapeutic molecule in intestinal inflammation.