Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an intestinotrophic and intestinal anti-inflammatory hormone. Hence, I hypothesized that treatment with degradation-resistant hGly2GLP-2 increases, while blocking endogenous GLP-2 decreases colorectal cancer (CRC) in rodents. In mice, treatment with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) and azoxymethane (AOM) induced colitis-associated CRC, which was further increased by treatment with hGly2GLP-2 and reduced by blocking endogenous GLP-2 with the antagonist hGLP-23-33. Moreover, while colonic damage score (CDS) was not altered by hGly2GLP-2 or hGLP-23-33 treatment, hGly2GLP-2 increased small intestinal growth and hGLP-23-33 reduced jejunal crypt cell proliferation. In rats fed with of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and high fat (HF) diet for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induction, treatment with hGly2GLP-2 increased small intestinal growth and ACF occurrence. Moreover, in rats fed with PhIP-HF diet for tumour induction, early treatment with hGly2GLP-2 appears to increase the occurrence of intestinal tumours. Collectively, these findings indicate a pro-carcinogenic role for both exogenous and endogenous GLP-2.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an intestinotrophic and intestinal anti-inflammatory hormone. Hence, I hypothesized that treatment with degradation-resistant hGly2GLP-2 increases, while blocking endogenous GLP-2 decreases colorectal cancer (CRC) in rodents. In mice, treatment with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) and azoxymethane (AOM) induced colitis-associated CRC, which was further increased by treatment with hGly2GLP-2 and reduced by blocking endogenous GLP-2 with the antagonist hGLP-23-33. Moreover, while colonic damage score (CDS) was not altered by hGly2GLP-2 or hGLP-23-33 treatment, hGly2GLP-2 increased small intestinal growth and hGLP-23-33 reduced jejunal crypt cell proliferation. In rats fed with of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and high fat (HF) diet for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induction, treatment with hGly2GLP-2 increased small intestinal growth and ACF occurrence. Moreover, in rats fed with PhIP-HF diet for tumour induction, early treatment with hGly2GLP-2 appears to increase the occurrence of intestinal tumours. Collectively, these findings indicate a pro-carcinogenic role for both exogenous and endogenous GLP-2.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) augments intestinal adaptation in animal models of short bowel syndrome (SBS) and in adult patients with SBS. However, GLP-2 has not been used as a therapy for pediatric SBS. In this thesis, it is hypothesized that exogenous GLP-2 therapy will improve outcomes of intestinal adaptation in proximal intestinal resection (JI) and distal intestinal resection (JC) neonatal piglet models of SBS. Improvements in morphological parameters (increased small intestinal length) and histological parameters (increased jejunal villus length or jejunal crypt depth) of intestinal adaptation in JI and JC neonatal piglets treated with GLP-2 were observed. However, improved clinical outcomes (fewer days of diarrhea, fewer days on parenteral nutrition, more days on enteral nutrition alone) were only observed in GLP-2 treated JC animals. Since the JC anatomical subtype (no remnant ileum) represents the majority of clinical cases of neonatal SBS, these results support a potential role for GLP-2 therapy in pediatric SBS.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) augments intestinal adaptation in animal models of short bowel syndrome (SBS) and in adult patients with SBS. However, GLP-2 has not been used as a therapy for pediatric SBS. In this thesis, it is hypothesized that exogenous GLP-2 therapy will improve outcomes of intestinal adaptation in proximal intestinal resection (JI) and distal intestinal resection (JC) neonatal piglet models of SBS. Improvements in morphological parameters (increased small intestinal length) and histological parameters (increased jejunal villus length or jejunal crypt depth) of intestinal adaptation in JI and JC neonatal piglets treated with GLP-2 were observed. However, improved clinical outcomes (fewer days of diarrhea, fewer days on parenteral nutrition, more days on enteral nutrition alone) were only observed in GLP-2 treated JC animals. Since the JC anatomical subtype (no remnant ileum) represents the majority of clinical cases of neonatal SBS, these results support a potential role for GLP-2 therapy in pediatric SBS.

The hormone glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is important in the regulation of intestinal growth and blood flow in nonruminant animals. However, no research reports the existence of GLP-2 in ruminants. Therefore, this dissertation examined the existence of GLP-2 and its receptor, their response to physiological stimuli, and its ability to induce gastrointestinal growth and intestinal blood flow in ruminants. Experiments 1 and 2 established the gastrointestinal distribution of mRNA for proglucagon (the GLP-2 precursor) and the GLP-2 receptor. Furthermore, these experiments determined the effects of changing dietary energy intake on plasma GLP-2 concentrations and proglucagon and GLP-2 receptor mRNA expression. Experiment 3 examined the effect of exogenous bovine GLP-2 on splanchnic blood flow, splanchnic nutrient flux, and gastrointestinal growth. This research shows that ruminants possess a functional GLP-2 signaling system that responds to nutrient ingestion. Based on observed receptor distribution and growth changes with GLP-2 treatment, GLP-2 targets the small intestine and does not affect forestomach or large intestinal growth. Increases in ileal proglucagon mRNA expression and plasma GLP-2 with increasing energy intake demonstrate that GLP-2 responds to physiologic changes in nutrient intake and can be relevant to feeding practices. Furthermore, observed increases in small intestinal growth and blood flow with GLP-2 suggest that it could substantially affect the capacity of the gastrointestinal tract for nutrient absorption. Modification of GLP-2 through diet could allow for improvements in nutrient utilization and animal productivity. This research also has important implications for use of GLP-2 for human disease therapy as the observed downregulation in the blood flow response to 10-d GLP-2 administration has never been reported in any species prior to this dissertation. This research systematically characterized and evaluated the potential role of GLP-2 in the control of gastrointestinal growth and splanchnic blood flow in ruminants. While it extends the knowledge of hormonal control of the gastrointestinal tract in ruminants, it also adds crucial information to the larger body of work investigating the actions of GLP- 2. This dissertation research has contributed to the groundwork necessary to enable the use of GLP-2 in improving the health and productivity of a diverse group of mammalian species.

The gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) has numerous beneficial effects on the intestinal epithelium, including increased mucosal growth and proliferation. GLP-2 is also necessary for the adaptive intestinal re-growth that occurs upon re-feeding after fasting. Although insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and the IGF-1 receptor are known to be required for GLP-2-induced crypt-cell proliferation, the precise cellular localization of the IGF-1 receptor through which the intestinotrophic actions of GLP-2 are mediated remains unknown. I hypothesized that small intestinal growth responses to GLP-2 occur through an intestinal epithelial IGF-1 receptor-dependent pathway, through the use of an inducible, intestinal epithelial-specific IGF-1 receptor knockout (IE-igf1rKO) mouse. Intestinal growth and proliferative responses were examined in IE-igf1rKO and control mice following treatment with GLP-2, as well as in animals that were fasted and re-fed to induce GLP-2-dependent adaptation. In Chapter 3, it was demonstrated that IE-igf1rKO mice, as compared to control littermates, had normal small intestinal weight, morphometric parameters, proliferative index and differentiated epithelial cell lineage distribution. Administration of GLP-2 for 30 minutes increased nuclear translocation of !-catenin in non-Paneth crypt-cells, and stimulated the crypt-cell proliferative marker c-Myc 90 minutes following GLP-2 treatment, in control littermates but not in IE-igf1rKO mice. In Chapter 4, adaptive re-growth was studied by fasting IE-igf1rKO and control animals for 24 hours, or by fasting and then re-feeding mice for 24 hours. Small intestinal weight, crypt depth, villus height and crypt-cell proliferation were decreased in both control and IE-igf1rKO mice after 24 hour fasting. While re-feeding in control mice restored all of these parameters, re-fed IE-igf1rKO mice displayed abrogated adaptive re-growth of the crypt-villus axis as well as reduced crypt-cell proliferation. In Chapter 5, control mice responded to chronic GLP-2 with increased small intestinal weight, mucosal cross-sectional area, crypt depth, villus height and crypt-cell proliferation. However, the GLP-2-induced increase in crypt-cell proliferation was absent in IE-igf1rKO mice, in association with impaired growth of the crypt-villus axis. Taken together, these results indicate that the proliferative responses of the intestinal epithelium to exogenous GLP-2 administration and during conditions of GLP-2-dependent adaptive re-growth are dependent on the intestinal epithelial IGF-1 receptor.

The gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) has numerous beneficial effects on the intestinal epithelium, including increased mucosal growth and proliferation. GLP-2 is also necessary for the adaptive intestinal re-growth that occurs upon re-feeding after fasting. Although insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and the IGF-1 receptor are known to be required for GLP-2-induced crypt-cell proliferation, the precise cellular localization of the IGF-1 receptor through which the intestinotrophic actions of GLP-2 are mediated remains unknown. I hypothesized that small intestinal growth responses to GLP-2 occur through an intestinal epithelial IGF-1 receptor-dependent pathway, through the use of an inducible, intestinal epithelial-specific IGF-1 receptor knockout (IE-igf1rKO) mouse. Intestinal growth and proliferative responses were examined in IE-igf1rKO and control mice following treatment with GLP-2, as well as in animals that were fasted and re-fed to induce GLP-2-dependent adaptation. In Chapter 3, it was demonstrated that IE-igf1rKO mice, as compared to control littermates, had normal small intestinal weight, morphometric parameters, proliferative index and differentiated epithelial cell lineage distribution. Administration of GLP-2 for 30 minutes increased nuclear translocation of !-catenin in non-Paneth crypt-cells, and stimulated the crypt-cell proliferative marker c-Myc 90 minutes following GLP-2 treatment, in control littermates but not in IE-igf1rKO mice. In Chapter 4, adaptive re-growth was studied by fasting IE-igf1rKO and control animals for 24 hours, or by fasting and then re-feeding mice for 24 hours. Small intestinal weight, crypt depth, villus height and crypt-cell proliferation were decreased in both control and IE-igf1rKO mice after 24 hour fasting. While re-feeding in control mice restored all of these parameters, re-fed IE-igf1rKO mice displayed abrogated adaptive re-growth of the crypt-villus axis as well as reduced crypt-cell proliferation. In Chapter 5, control mice responded to chronic GLP-2 with increased small intestinal weight, mucosal cross-sectional area, crypt depth, villus height and crypt-cell proliferation. However, the GLP-2-induced increase in crypt-cell proliferation was absent in IE-igf1rKO mice, in association with impaired growth of the crypt-villus axis. Taken together, these results indicate that the proliferative responses of the intestinal epithelium to exogenous GLP-2 administration and during conditions of GLP-2-dependent adaptive re-growth are dependent on the intestinal epithelial IGF-1 receptor.

No description available.

O diabetes mellitus (DM) é uma doença metabólica associada a danos, disfunção e insuficiência de diversos órgãos, sendo a fragilidade óssea apontada por estudos recentes como também associada ao DM. Os mecanismos que justificam o maior risco de fraturas em diabéticos tipo 2 não são bem compreendidos. A influência do trato gastrointestinal e seus hormônios no remodelamento ósseo tem sido comprovada em animais e em indivíduos sadios, sendo o Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) e a serotonina hormônios com produção intestinal estimulada pela ingestão de nutrientes, existindo algumas evidências de que os mesmos têm efeitos no metabolismo ósseo. O presente estudo comparou a dinâmica dos marcadores ósseos, da serotonina e do GLP-2 em resposta à refeição mista em mulheres pósmenopausadas diabéticas em relação a controles não diabéticas. Foram incluídas 43 mulheres pós-menopausadas com densidade mineral óssea (DMO) reduzida, 23 com diabetes (grupo DM) e 20 controles (grupo CO). Depois do jejum de 12 horas, essas mulheres foram submetidas ao teste de refeição padrão, e as amostras de sangue foram coletadas nos tempos 0, 30, 60, 120 e 180 minutos para a dosagem de telopeptídeo C-terminal do colágeno tipo I sérico (CTX), osteocalcina (OC), GLP-2 e serotonina. O grupo DM apresentou maior índice de massa corporal, bem como maior densidade mineral óssea (DMO) de colo de fêmur e quadril. Nos tempos basais as mulheres diabéticas apresentaram concentrações plasmáticas de LH e FSH, bem como dos marcadores ósseos osteocalcina e CTX menores que no grupo CO. Em resposta a refeição padrão houve, em ambos os grupos, diminuição na concentração do CTX e da osteocalcina, e aumento na de GLP-2, sem alteração significativa da serotonina. A resposta do CTX à refeição foi menor no grupo DM, e a da serotonina maior no grupo CO em um único tempo do teste. Em relação a OC e ao GLP-2, não houve diferença entre os grupos avaliados ao longo do teste de refeição. As mulheres diabéticas tipo 2 tiveram maior DMO de fêmur. Além disso, os resultados sugerem que o remodelamento ósseo das mulheres diabéticas está alterado, com os marcadores ósseos reduzidos. A influência da ingestão de nutrientes na reabsorção óssea também foi alterada pela DM, não se reconhecendo nesse estudo qualquer papel do GLP-2 ou da serotonina na alteração do metabolismo ósseo em mulheres diabéticas tipo 2 / Type 2 diabetes mellitus is metabolic disease associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs; recent studies indicate that diabetes itself is associated with bone fragility. The mechanisms underlying the increased fracture risk in type 2 diabetes are not well understood. The influence of the gastrointestinal tract and its hormones in bone remodeling has been demonstrated in animals and in healthy subjects. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) and serotonin are enteric hormones stimulated by nutrient intake, and there is some evidence that these hormones could have some effects on bone metabolism. We studied the dynamics of bone markers, serotonin and GLP- 2 in response to a mixed meal in diabetic postmenopausal women, in comparison with nondiabetic controls. 43 post-menopausal women with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) were enrolled, 23 with diabetes (DM group) and 20 normal control (CO group). After an overnight fast (12h), subjects were submitted to a standard meal test. Blood samples were drawn for C-terminal crosslinked telopeptide (CTX), osteocalcin (OC), GLP-2 and serotonin at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. The DM group had higher body mass index, and higher BMD of the femoral neck and hip. The basal values of of LH and FSH as well as the bone markers osteocalcin and CTX were lower in the DM group than in the CO group. After the standard meal test, there was a decrease in the concentration of CTX and osteocalcin, and an increase in GLP-2 in both groups. No changes in concentrations of serotonin were observed over the test meal. The response of the CTX meal was lower in the DM group, and the serotonin concentration was greater in the CO group in a single test time. In relation to e OC and GLP-2, there were no differences among the groups throughout the test meal. Type 2 diabetic women had higher bone mineral density (BMD) in the femur. Furthermore, the results suggest that the bone remodeling of diabetic women is altered, with their biochemical bone markers reduced. The influence of nutrient intake on bone resorption was also altered by DM, but in this study we could not recognize the role of GLP- 2 and serotonin in influencing the bone metabolism in type 2 diabetic

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a known secretory product of intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts (ISEMF), is essential for the intestinotrophic effects of glucagon-like peptide-2(GLP-2). I hypothesized that GLP-2 increases the production of IGF-1 by primary murine ISEMF in culture. Immunocytochemistry showed that the ISEMF stained appropriately for α smooth muscle actin and vimentin but not for desmin. The ISEMF also expressed GLP-2 receptor and IGF-1 mRNA transcripts. ISEMF treated with GLP-2 revealed a maximal increase in IGF-1 mRNA transcript levels at 10-8 M GLP-2 and 2hr. Interestingly, immunoblotting revealed an increase in P-AKT/T-AKT with GLP-2, but no changes in cAMP, P-ERK/T-ERK or calcium were detected. PI3K inhibition and kinase-dead AKT over-expression abrogated GLP-2-induction of IGF-1 mRNA, and ISEMF from GLP-2R null mice demonstrated reductions in IGF-1 mRNA and cellular IGF-1, but not in media IGF-1, vs. wild-type ISEMF. These findings suggest a possible mechanism by which GLP-2 increases intestinal growth in-vivo.