Coniferyl aldehyde attenuates radiation enteropathy by inhibiting cell death and promoting endothelial cell function

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 6; p. e0128552
• Main Authors: Jeong, Ye-Ji, Jung, Myung Gu, Son, Yeonghoon, Jang, Jun-Ho, Lee, Yoon-Jin, Kim, Sung-Ho, Ko, Young-Gyo, Lee, Yun-Sil, Lee, Hae-June
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.06.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Abdomen; Acrolein - analogs & derivatives; Acrolein - pharmacology; Aldehydes; Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis - radiation effects; Biochemistry; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cell cycle; Cell death; Cell Death - drug effects; Cell Death - radiation effects; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Endothelial Cells - radiation effects; Endothelium; Enteritis; Enteritis - drug therapy; Epithelial cells; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - radiation effects; Epithelium; Growth factors; Health aspects; Heat shock proteins; HSF1 protein; Hsp70 protein; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; I.R. radiation; Inhibition; Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects; Intestinal Mucosa - radiation effects; Intestine; Intestines - drug effects; Intestines - radiation effects; Investigations; Irradiation; Lamina propria; Life sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Microvasculature; Mortality; Radiation; Radiation (Physics); Radiation damage; Radiation effects; Radiation injuries; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - drug therapy; Radiation therapy; Radiation-Protective Agents - pharmacology; Rats; Rodents
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128552

Radiation enteropathy is a common complication in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether radiation-induced intestinal injury could be alleviated by coniferyl aldehyde (CA), an HSF1-inducing agent that increases cellular HSP70 expression. We systemically administered CA to mice with radiation enteropathy following abdominal irradiation (IR) to demonstrate the protective effects of CA against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury. CA clearly alleviated acute radiation-induced intestinal damage, as reflected by the histopathological data and it also attenuated sub-acute enteritis. CA prevented intestinal crypt cell death and protected the microvasculature in the lamina propria during the acute and sub-acute phases of damage. CA induced HSF1 and HSP70 expression in both intestinal epithelial cells and endothelial cells in vitro. Additionally, CA protected against not only the apoptotic cell death of both endothelial and epithelial cells but also the loss of endothelial cell function following IR, indicating that CA has beneficial effects on the intestine. Our results provide novel insight into the effects of CA and suggest its role as a therapeutic candidate for radiation-induced enteropathy due to its ability to promote rapid re-proliferation of the intestinal epithelium by the synergic effects of the inhibition of cell death and the promotion of endothelial cell function.