Myofibroblasts are involved in diabetic intestinal remodeling

D ARPINO MC; SÁNCHEZ SS; HONORÉ SM

San Miguel de Tucumán

Congreso; XXXII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Tucumán Biology Association; XX Annual Scientific Meeting of the Córdoba Biology Society; XXXIII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cuyo Biology Society; XVII Annual Meeting of the Argentine Biology Society; 2015

Sociedad Argentina de Biologia

Diabetes is associated with metabolic and functional alterations in the gut. Using an experimental model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rodents, we analyzed whether diabetic intestinal dysfunction could be partly due to changes in the mucosa layer. Morphological analysis of the colon of rats after 4 weeks of diabetes showed a profound alteration in the mucosa layer. A marked increase in the deposition of extracellular matrix components was found and high levels of fibrillar collagen (I and III) and fibronectin mRNAs were observed. Accumulation of these extracellular proteins was detected along the lamina propria. In addition, a significant increase in cell proliferation of the mucosa layer associated with an increase in the population of myofibroblastic cells a-SMA + / vimentin + was determined. Paracrine factors study showed that the expression of TGFb1 signaling pathway, TGFRI, TGFRII and the cytoplasmic effector Smad2 / 3, was increased in the mucosa layer of diabetic rats compared to controls animals.The overall results showed that the deregulation of the TGFb1 pathway is associated with the appearance of myofibroblasts and the accumulation of extracellular matrix in the mucosa of diabetic colon. Diabetes causes an imbalance in the process of normal colonic mucosa remodeling, initiating a fibrotic process at early stages of the disease