A Quantitative Study of the Mechanisms behind Thymic Atrophy in Gαi2-Deficient Mice during Colitis Development

Mice deficient for the G protein subunit Gαi2 spontaneously develop colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease associated with dysregulated T cell responses. We and others have previously demonstrated a thymic involution in these mice and an aberrant thymocyte dynamics. The Gαi2−/− mice have a dramatically reduced fraction of double positive thymocytes and an increased fraction of single positive (SP) thymocytes. In this study, we quantify a number of critical parameters in order to narrow down the underlying mechanisms that cause the dynamical changes of the thymocyte development in the Gαi2−/− mice. Our data suggest that the increased fraction of SP thymocytes results only from a decreased number of DP thymocytes, since the number of SP thymocytes in the Gαi2−/− mice is comparable to the control littermates. By measuring the frequency of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) in the thymocytes, we demonstrate that the number of cell divisions the Gαi2−/− SP thymocytes undergo is comparable to SP thymocytes from control littermates. In addition, our data show that the mature SP CD4+ and CD8+ thymocytes divide to the same extent before they egress from the thymus. By estimating the number of peripheral TREC+ T lymphocytes and their death rate, we could calculate the daily egression of thymocytes. Gαi2−/− mice with no/mild and moderate colitis were found to have a slower export rate in comparison to the control littermates. The quantitative measurements in this study suggest a number of dynamical changes in the thymocyte development during the progression of colitis

Identification of a novel interaction between corticotropin releasing hormone (Crh) and macroautophagy

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), compromised restitution of the epithelial barrier contributes to disease severity. Owing to the complexity in the pathogenesis of IBD, a variety of factors have been implicated in its progress. In this study, we report a functional interaction between macroautophagy and Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (Crh) in the gut. For this purpose we used DSS colitis model on Crh ?/? or wild-type (wt) with pharmacological inhibition of autophagy. We uncovered sustained basal autophagy in the gut of Crh ?/? mice, which persisted over the course of DSS administration. Autophagy inhibition resulted in partial rescue of Crh ?/? mice, while it increased the expression of Crh in the wt gut. Similarly, Crh deficiency was associated with sustained activation of base line autophagy. In vitro models of amino acid deprivation- and LPS-induced autophagy confirmed the in vivo findings. Our results indicate a novel role for Crh in the intestinal epithelium that involves regulation of autophagy, while suggesting the complementary action of the two pathways. These data suggest the intriguing possibility that targeting Crh stimulation in the intestine may provide a novel therapeutic approach to support the integrity of the epithelial barrier and to protect from chronic colitis