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Glucocorticoids have pleiotropic effects on small intestinal crypt cells
1Section of Physiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. aq10@cornell.edu
The American Journal of Physiology
|November 24, 1999
Summary
Glucocorticoids accelerate intestinal maturation by altering crypt cell growth and function. These hormones induce changes in cell structure and key proteins, impacting intestinal epithelial development.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Cell Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Glucocorticoids are known to promote intestinal maturation.
- The precise molecular mechanisms underlying this effect in the intestinal epithelium are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid action in rat intestinal epithelial cells.
- To characterize glucocorticoid receptors and their effects on crypt cell morphology and function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized rat intestinal epithelial cell lines (IEC-6, IEC-17, IEC-18) as experimental models.
- Characterized glucocorticoid receptors in crypt cells.
- Documented morphological, ultrastructural, and functional changes induced by glucocorticoids.
Main Results:
- Observed growth arrest in intestinal epithelial cells upon glucocorticoid treatment.
- Noted the formation of tight junctions and the appearance of long, slender microvilli.
- Documented reorganization of the endoplasmic reticulum and trans-Golgi network, alongside downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 and p27(Kip1).
Conclusions:
- Glucocorticoids induce significant alterations in intestinal crypt cells, consistent with enhanced absorptive cell function.
- These hormonal effects involve modulation of cell cycle regulators and organelle structure.
- The observed changes are likely related to maturation but not directly to the induction of cell differentiation.