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NF-κB-dependent Luciferase Activation and Quantification of Gene Expression in Salmonella Infected Tissue Culture Cells
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Nuclear factor-kappa B in intestinal protection and destruction
Martina E Spehlmann1, Lars Eckmann
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0063, USA.
Current Opinion in Gastroenterology
|June 17, 2009
Summary
Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) plays dual roles in the intestine. While promoting inflammation in chronic conditions, it protects tissues during acute injury and maintains homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) is a critical regulator of immune responses.
- Its role in intestinal homeostasis and disease is complex and multifaceted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on the functions of NF-kappaB in the intestinal tract.
- To highlight its roles in both normal physiological conditions and disease processes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and experimental findings.
- Analysis of genetic models and pharmacological interventions related to NF-kappaB signaling.
Main Results:
- NF-kappaB activation is observed in inflammatory bowel disease and experimental intestinal inflammation.
- Inhibition of NF-kappaB can protect against intestinal inflammation in animal models.
- Conversely, loss of key NF-kappaB pathway components in intestinal epithelial cells leads to spontaneous colitis.
- NF-kappaB signaling in different cell types (epithelial cells, macrophages, T cells) has distinct, sometimes opposing, effects.
Conclusions:
- NF-kappaB exhibits diverse and often contradictory functions within the intestine.
- Its antiapoptotic effects in epithelial cells are crucial for tissue protection against acute challenges.
- Proinflammatory and cell survival roles in immune cells mediate chronic intestinal inflammation.
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