Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing

Fibrinogen is a large molecule synthesized in the liver and released in the blood. Circulating levels of fibrinogen are upregulated after bleeding or clotting events and support wound healing. In the context of an injury, thrombin activation drives conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Fibrin depositi...

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Main Authors: Amira Seltana, Gabriel Cloutier, Vilcy Reyes Nicolas, Taoufik Khalfaoui, Inga C. Teller, Nathalie Perreault, Jean-François Beaulieu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.916187/full
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author Amira Seltana
Gabriel Cloutier
Vilcy Reyes Nicolas
Taoufik Khalfaoui
Inga C. Teller
Nathalie Perreault
Jean-François Beaulieu
author_facet Amira Seltana
Gabriel Cloutier
Vilcy Reyes Nicolas
Taoufik Khalfaoui
Inga C. Teller
Nathalie Perreault
Jean-François Beaulieu
author_sort Amira Seltana
collection DOAJ
description Fibrinogen is a large molecule synthesized in the liver and released in the blood. Circulating levels of fibrinogen are upregulated after bleeding or clotting events and support wound healing. In the context of an injury, thrombin activation drives conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Fibrin deposition contains tissue damage, stops blood loss, and prevents microbial infection. In most circumstances, fibrin needs to be removed to allow the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair, whereas failure of this may lead to the development of various disorders. However, the contribution of fibrinogen to tissue inflammation and repair is likely to be context-dependent. In this study, the concept that fibrin needs to be removed to allow tissue repair and to reduce inflammation is challenged by our observations that, in the intestine, fibrinogen is constitutively produced by a subset of intestinal epithelial cells and deposited at the basement membrane as fibrin where it serves as a substrate for wound healing under physiological conditions such as epithelial shedding at the tip of the small intestinal villus and surface epithelium of the colon as well as under pathological conditions that require rapid epithelial repair. The functional integrity of the intestine is ensured by the constant renewal of its simple epithelium. Superficial denuding of the epithelial cell layer occurs regularly and is rapidly corrected by a process called restitution that can be influenced by various soluble and insoluble factors. Epithelial cell interaction with the extracellular matrix greatly influences the healing process by acting on cell morphology, adhesion, and migration. The functional contribution of a fibrin(ogen) matrix in the intestine was studied under physiological and pathological contexts. Our results (immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy, and quantitative PCR) show that fibrin(ogen) is a novel component of the basement membrane associated with the differentiated epithelial cell population in both the small intestine and colon. Fibrin(ogen) alone is a weak ligand for epithelial cells and behaves as an anti-adhesive molecule in the presence of type I collagen. Furthermore, the presence of fibrin(ogen) significantly shortens the time required to achieve closure of wounded epithelial cell monolayers and co-cultures in a PI3K-dependent manner. In human specimens with Crohn’s disease, we observed a major accumulation of fibrin(ogen) throughout the tissue and at denuded sites. In mice in which fibrin formation was inhibited with dabigatran treatment, dextran sulfate sodium administration provoked a significant increase in the disease activity index and pathological features such as mucosal ulceration and crypt abscess formation. Taken together, these results suggest that fibrin(ogen) contributes to epithelial healing under both normal and pathological conditions.
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spelling doaj.art-d50667255bfb4c7faf577f9ba75b04422022-12-22T03:31:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242022-06-011310.3389/fimmu.2022.916187916187Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound HealingAmira SeltanaGabriel CloutierVilcy Reyes NicolasTaoufik KhalfaouiInga C. TellerNathalie PerreaultJean-François BeaulieuFibrinogen is a large molecule synthesized in the liver and released in the blood. Circulating levels of fibrinogen are upregulated after bleeding or clotting events and support wound healing. In the context of an injury, thrombin activation drives conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Fibrin deposition contains tissue damage, stops blood loss, and prevents microbial infection. In most circumstances, fibrin needs to be removed to allow the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair, whereas failure of this may lead to the development of various disorders. However, the contribution of fibrinogen to tissue inflammation and repair is likely to be context-dependent. In this study, the concept that fibrin needs to be removed to allow tissue repair and to reduce inflammation is challenged by our observations that, in the intestine, fibrinogen is constitutively produced by a subset of intestinal epithelial cells and deposited at the basement membrane as fibrin where it serves as a substrate for wound healing under physiological conditions such as epithelial shedding at the tip of the small intestinal villus and surface epithelium of the colon as well as under pathological conditions that require rapid epithelial repair. The functional integrity of the intestine is ensured by the constant renewal of its simple epithelium. Superficial denuding of the epithelial cell layer occurs regularly and is rapidly corrected by a process called restitution that can be influenced by various soluble and insoluble factors. Epithelial cell interaction with the extracellular matrix greatly influences the healing process by acting on cell morphology, adhesion, and migration. The functional contribution of a fibrin(ogen) matrix in the intestine was studied under physiological and pathological contexts. Our results (immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy, and quantitative PCR) show that fibrin(ogen) is a novel component of the basement membrane associated with the differentiated epithelial cell population in both the small intestine and colon. Fibrin(ogen) alone is a weak ligand for epithelial cells and behaves as an anti-adhesive molecule in the presence of type I collagen. Furthermore, the presence of fibrin(ogen) significantly shortens the time required to achieve closure of wounded epithelial cell monolayers and co-cultures in a PI3K-dependent manner. In human specimens with Crohn’s disease, we observed a major accumulation of fibrin(ogen) throughout the tissue and at denuded sites. In mice in which fibrin formation was inhibited with dabigatran treatment, dextran sulfate sodium administration provoked a significant increase in the disease activity index and pathological features such as mucosal ulceration and crypt abscess formation. Taken together, these results suggest that fibrin(ogen) contributes to epithelial healing under both normal and pathological conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.916187/fullfibrinogenepithelial restitutionintestinal homeostasishumanCrohn’s diseasedabigatran
spellingShingle Amira Seltana
Gabriel Cloutier
Vilcy Reyes Nicolas
Taoufik Khalfaoui
Inga C. Teller
Nathalie Perreault
Jean-François Beaulieu
Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
Frontiers in Immunology
fibrinogen
epithelial restitution
intestinal homeostasis
human
Crohn’s disease
dabigatran
title Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
title_full Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
title_fullStr Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
title_full_unstemmed Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
title_short Fibrin(ogen) Is Constitutively Expressed by Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Mediates Wound Healing
title_sort fibrin ogen is constitutively expressed by differentiated intestinal epithelial cells and mediates wound healing
topic fibrinogen
epithelial restitution
intestinal homeostasis
human
Crohn’s disease
dabigatran
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.916187/full
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AT gabrielcloutier fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing
AT vilcyreyesnicolas fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing
AT taoufikkhalfaoui fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing
AT ingacteller fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing
AT nathalieperreault fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing
AT jeanfrancoisbeaulieu fibrinogenisconstitutivelyexpressedbydifferentiatedintestinalepithelialcellsandmediateswoundhealing