Journal of Nutrition EB Program 2010 Abstracts

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dahm, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, D. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dahm, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, D. P.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
*Compound via MeSH
*Substance via MeSH
Hazardous Substances DB
*CYSTEINE
(Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130:2739-2745.)
© 2000 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences


Articles

Rat Jejunum Controls Luminal Thiol-Disulfide Redox1

Lawrence J. Dahm2 and Dean P. Jones3

Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322

3To whom correspondence should be addressed at Rollins Research Center, Room 4131, 1510 Clifton Road NE.


    ABSTRACT
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
The control of luminal thiol-disulfide redox state may be important for several intestinal functions, including absorption of iron or selenium and maintenance of mucus fluidity. Disulfides are present in the diet, and although luminal thiols are supplied in bile, little is known about the ability of the small intestine to reduce disulfides to maintain the luminal thiol-disulfide redox state. The objective of the current study was to determine whether the isolated, vascularly perfused jejunum, free from biliary thiols, could reduce intraluminal glutathione disulfide (GSSG) to glutathione (GSH). GSSG was introduced in a deoxygenated solution to inhibit the reoxidation of any GSH formed, and preparations were pretreated with acivicin to inhibit the degradation of GSH by {gamma}-glutamyltransferase. GSSG (250 µmol/L) was reduced to GSH, with the luminal redox potential (Eh) for GSSG/2GSH changing from >0 to -111, -132 and -143 mV at 10, 20 and 30 min, respectively. The Eh for luminal cystine/2cysteine was ~20 mV more reducing than that for GSSG/2GSH at each time point, suggesting that cysteine could function in the reduction of GSSG in the lumen. Measurements in specific regions showed that GSSG reduction was more rapid in the duodenum and proximal jejunum than in the distal jejunum. Preparations without acivicin treatment showed that Eh values were unaffected by inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase despite differences in GSH and cysteine pool sizes. Rat intestine has a mechanism to adjust the luminal thiol-disulfide redox. In principle, dysfunction of this mechanism could contribute to malabsorption or other nutritional disorders.


KEY WORDS: • glutathione • cysteine • redox • small intestine • rats


    INTRODUCTION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Glutathione (GSH)4 from the bile and diet is used in the small intestine to detoxify peroxidized lipids in the mucosal epithelium (Aw et al. 1992Citation , Aw and Williams 1992Citation , Kowalski et al. 1990Citation ) and to detoxify reactive electrophils in mucus and mucosal epithelium (Samiec et al. 2000Citation ). Cysteine (Cys) functions as a reductant in the absorption of iron (Van Campen 1973Citation ) and selenium (Scharrer et al. 1992Citation ), and both GSH and Cys can, in principle, function as reductants in the maintenance of mucus fluidity (Snary et al. 1970Citation ) and the protection of enzymes and transport systems that contain critical thiol groups (Gilbert 1990Citation ). Although some of these functions (e.g., GSH peroxidase and GSH S-transferase reactions) are likely to depend on the thiol concentrations per se, others (e.g., reduction in ferric iron or selenite, maintenance of mucus fluidity, maintenance of thiols in proteins) are likely to depend on the redox potential (Eh) of the respective thiol-disulfide couple, i.e., glutathione disulfide (GSSG)/2GSH or cystine (CySS)/2Cys.

Eh, which is also termed "electromotive force," is a quantitative expression of the tendency of a redox-active couple to donate or accept electrons relative to a standard hydrogen electrode (Clark 1960Citation ). Consumption of foods with divergent GSH/GSSG ratios (Jones et al. 1992Citation , Wierzbicka et al. 1989Citation ) is associated with a relatively large variation in Eh, and therefore mechanisms are needed to adjust the luminal thiol-disulfide redox state to an appropriate range for intestinal functions. Two mechanisms that supply thiols to the intestinal lumen could function in the control of luminal Eh: the supply of GSH in bile (Ballatori and Rebbeor 1998Citation , Kaplowitz et al. 1996Citation ) and the release of thiols from the intestinal epithelium (Wien and Van Campen 1991aCitation and 1991bCitation ). GSH is present at millimolar concentrations in bile, and calculations of Eh of the GSSG/2GSH pool from reported concentrations of GSH and GSSG in human bile (Eberle et al. 1981Citation ), assuming a 10-fold dilution of bile into the lumen, indicate that Eh would be ~-150 mV (using an Eo value of -240 mV for pH 7.0; Rost and Rapoport 1964Citation ). This value is very similar to the estimated Eh in the lumen of rat small intestine (-137 to -164 mV, calculated from data of Hagen et al. 1990Citation ). The release of thiols from the epithelium could also function to control luminal redox because the Eh of the GSSG/2GSH pool in the jejunum is ~-203 mV (Jonas et al. 1999Citation ), and an analysis of thiols with HPLC showed that both GSH and Cys are released into the lumen of isolated, perfused rat small intestine (Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ).

The purposes of the current study were to determine whether the small intestinal epithelium can reduce a disulfide in the lumen and to determine the Eh value that is established for the resulting thiol-disulfide pool. An isolated, vascularly perfused rat small intestinal preparation was used with the bile duct ligated to minimize the contribution from biliary thiols. Added GSSG was reduced to GSH to bring the luminal GSSG/2GSH pool from >0 to -132 mV within 20 min. Thus, the rat intestinal epithelium contains a mechanism to reduce a disulfide to maintain luminal thiol-disulfide redox.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Drugs.

GSH, GSSG, CySS, glutamate (sodium salt), aspartate (sodium salt), glutamine, glucose, acivicin, HEPES, dithiothreitol, iodoacetic acid, 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (Sanger’s reagent) and heparin (sodium salt) were obtained from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO). Cys-GSH disulfide (CySSG) was from Toronto Research Chemicals (North York, Ontario, Canada). Cys hydrochloride and perchloric acid were purchased from Kodak (Rochester, NY) and Mallinckrodt (Paris, KY), respectively. SOLVABLE tissue solubilizer was obtained from New England Nuclear Research Products (Boston, MA). Sodium pentobarbital (Wyeth-Ayerst, Princeton, NJ) was obtained from the Emory University Hospital. All other reagents were reagent grade or better.

Intestinal preparation.

Animal use was reviewed and approved by the Emory University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (VAF/1; Sasco, Omaha, NE) weighing 200–320 g were housed in the animal care facility at Emory University under conditions of controlled temperature and humidity. A 12-h light/dark cycle was maintained. Rats consumed tap water and rat food (Purina 5001; Purina, St. Louis, MO) ad libitum.

Isolated, vascularly perfused rat jejunal preparations were prepared as previously used for studies of the transepithelial transport of GSH and GSSG (Hagen and Jones 1987Citation ). This preparation was developed with a Krebs-Henseleit balanced salt solution for vascular perfusion to simplify the analytic measurement of transported species. Integrity was shown by the lack of release of lactic dehydrogenase, exclusion of luminal inulin and polyethylene glycol from the perfusate, maintenance of sodium-dependent transport and ability of transport inhibitors to block transepithelial transport (Hagen and Jones 1987Citation ). This preparation was also found to retain responsiveness to hormonal stimulation of transport (Hagen et al. 1991Citation ). Thus, the preparation provides an intact system for evaluation of the ability of the epithelium, without contribution of bile or blood components, to reduce luminal GSSG. However, because this preparation is nonphysiological and no systematic evaluation of components (e.g., amino acids) normally supplied by bile or blood was made, the rates and regulation of GSSG reduction by the small intestinal epithelium in vivo may differ from the values obtained in this isolated system.

Briefly, rats were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (50 mg IP/kg), and heparin (70 U) was injected into the left femoral vein. The proximal 40 cm of jejunum was isolated and cleared of its contents by flushing with 40 mL of 37°C saline (9 g/L); only a small volume (i.e., ~1 mL) of saline remained in the lumen. For all studies except those that measured total luminal thiols with Ellman’s reagent, 10 mL of 37°C saline containing 250 µmol acivicin/L, an inhibitor of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase, was added to the lumen and, after 20 min, flushed with a gentle stream of air. The bile duct, celiac artery, renal arteries and aorta proximal to the emergence of the celiac artery were ligated, and the rat was killed while anesthetized by cutting the vena cava. The aorta was cannulated distal to the renal arteries and perfused retrograde so that the intestinal vasculature was perfused via the superior mesenteric artery. The perfusion rate was 1 mL/min with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer (pH 7.4, 37°C) containing 12.5 mmol HEPES/L.

The perfusate was collected via an 18-gauge cannula in the portal vein. Temperature was maintained at 37–38°C with a heat lamp. Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 7 mmol glutamine/L and 1 mmol glucose/L without or with 250 µmol GSSG/L was used as the luminal buffer and was deoxygenated by bubbling with N2 for 20 min before use to minimize the oxidation of any thiols formed during incubation. The pH was adjusted to 7.4 with HCl after bubbling with N2. Glutamine was included because it is a preferred energy substrate of small intestine, and the concentration that we used approximates that in the lumen under postprandial conditions (Windmueller 1982Citation ).

At time points after the addition of GSSG, luminal fluid was drained with a gentle stream of air from a syringe. An aliquot was spun immediately in a microcentrifuge for 30 s and acidified with perchloric acid (1 mol/L) for analysis of GSSG, GSH and other thiols and disulfides. A second aliquot was reduced with dithiothreitol (5 mmol/L final concentration) before acidification for the measurement of total Cys equivalents. To assess GSSG reduction in regions of the small intestine, 10-cm lengths were isolated; the first were in large part duodenum, and an additional five lengths were taken from the successive 50 cm of jejunum. Experiments were analogous to the larger segment, but 2 mL of medium was used for each length.

To verify inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase, the mucosa from intestines without and with acivicin treatment was scraped from the proximal 40 cm of jejunum with a glass microscope slide, homogenized in Krebs-Henseleit buffer (pH 7.4) to make a 200 g/L homogenate and analyzed spectrophotometrically with {gamma}-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide (Orlowski and Meister 1963Citation ). There was substantial (68–96%) but incomplete inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase with this treatment.

Analysis of thiols and disulfides.

GSSG, GSH, CySSG, cystinyl-bis-glycine, cysteinyl-glycine, Cys and CySS in luminal fluid were analyzed with HPLC as described by Fariss and Reed (1987)Citation . Compounds were identified by retention times of authentic standards, and concentrations were determined by integration relative to standards. For some chromatograms, CySS did not resolve from glutamate, and CySS was calculated from the difference in integrals between samples without and with dithiothreitol treatment (Ellman and Lysko 1979Citation ). The error due to this indirect approach was estimated to be <10% and resulted in a <2-mV error in the calculation of Eh. Eh values were calculated with the Nernst equation with Eo values at pH 7.4 of -264 mV for GSSG/2GSH, -257 mV for CySSG/(Cys · GSH) and -250 mV for CySS/2Cys (Jones et al. 2000Citation ).

Total thiols were measured with 1 mmol/L 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prepared in the luminal incubation buffer. After a 5-min incubation at room temperature, absorbance was read at 412 nm, and the total thiol concentration was calculated from a standard curve prepared with Cys.

Statistical analysis.

Results are expressed as means ± SEM. Homogeneity of variance was tested using the F-max test. Log transformations were performed on nonhomogeneous data. If the variances were homogeneous, data were analyzed with Student’s t test, one-way ANOVA or completely randomized factorial ANOVA as appropriate. Individual comparisons between treatment means after ANOVA were made with Tukey’s {omega} test (Steel and Torrie 1980Citation ). When variances were nonhomogeneous after log transformations of data, the data were analyzed with the nonparametric, distribution-free, multiple comparison test (Gad and Weil 1986Citation ). The criterion for significance was P < 0.05 for all comparisons.


    RESULTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
GSH appearance and GSSG loss in the lumen of the jejunum.

GSH accumulated in the lumen approximately linearly for the first 20 min (Fig. 1ACitation ) with a rate of ~28 nmol · segment-1 · min-1. In control intestines without added GSSG, GSH increased at an average rate of <6 nmol · segment-1 · min-1. Thus, the inclusion of GSSG in the lumen resulted in a substantially higher rate of appearance of GSH in the lumen. During this time, there was no significant increase in GSH in scrapings from the intestinal mucosa (Table 1Citation ), but there was an increase in GSH in the portal vein from 5.5 ± 1.5 to 12 ± 2 µmol/L (Fig. 2Citation ).



View larger version (17K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 1. Glutathione (GSH) accumulation (A) and GSH disulfide (GSSG) loss (B) in lumen of rat jejunum after the intraluminal addition of 250 µmol GSSG/L. Krebs-Henseleit buffer (9 mL; pH 7.4, 37°C) containing 1 mmol glucose /Land 7 mmol/L glutamine was incubated in the lumen of the vascularly perfused jejunum preparation without ({circ}) or with (•) 250 µmol GSSG/L for 10–30 min. At appropriate times, luminal buffer was collected and analyzed by HPLC for GSH and GSSG determinations. GSSG was not detected in the lumen of intestines without added GSSG. Values are means ± SEM, n = 5. aSignificantly different from respective control time point. bSignificantly different from respective 10-min time point. cSignificantly different from initial incubation medium.

 

View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 1. GSH and Cys contents in rat jejunal mucosa with intraluminal GSSG123

 


View larger version (14K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 2. Glutathione (GSH) in portal vein of rat after the intraluminal addition of 250 µmol GSH/L disulfide (GSSG) in jejunum. Experiments were performed as described for Figure 1Citation . At 5–30 min after the addition of luminal solution without ({circ}) or with (•) GSSG, samples of the vascular perfusion buffer were collected from the portal vein and analyzed for GSH and GSSG. GSSG was not detectable in the samples. Zero time values refer to samples obtained immediately before the intraluminal instillation of GSSG or buffer. Values are means ± SEM, n = 5–7 for each point. aSignificantly different from control at same time.

 
To determine whether there were more total luminal thiols in intestines treated with GSSG, the luminal content of total thiols was measured with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (Ellman 1959Citation ) after 30 min without or with luminal GSSG. The total thiol concentration was 174 ± 23 µmol/L without GSSG and was significantly higher (246 ± 5 µmol/L) with GSSG. The average total difference between these total thiol values due to the addition of GSSG was 23.3 nmol · segment-1 · min-1. Because the average increase in GSH during the first 30 min was 20 nmol · segment-1 · min-1 (Fig. 1ACitation ), the greater total thiol in the presence of GSSG can in large part be explained by the greater amount of GSH.

Measurements of GSSG loss showed that initially there was a rapid decrease in GSSG, followed by a linear loss between 10 and 30 min (Fig. 1BCitation ). The basis for the initial loss was likely due to redistribution within accessible aqueous compartment and/or binding to surfaces and was not pursued. However, the rate of loss of GSSG during the linear phase [30 nmol · segment-1 · min-1] was similar to the rate of GSH appearance (Fig. 1ACitation ). Because direct reduction of GSSG to 2GSH should result in 2GSH for each GSSG lost, only half of the GSH equivalents in GSSG were recovered as GSH. Analysis of mucosal scrapings showed that GSSG was not detectable (<0.02 nmol/mg protein). Similarly, there was no detectable GSSG in the vascular perfusate during the 30-min time course. Thus, a process other than direct two-electron reduction of GSSG to 2GSH appeared to be involved in the loss of GSSG.

Formation of the disulfide of Cys and GSH, CySSG.

We previously found that Cys is released at a substantial rate into the lumen of the vascularly perfused small intestine (Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ), and Cys reacts with GSSG to form CySSG and GSH. Thus, the reduction of GSSG to GSH could involve the reduction of GSSG by Cys. To determine the rate of appearance of CySSG in the lumen, we measured CySSG with HPLC as a function of time after the addition of GSSG. CySSG was at a low concentration (<1 µmol/L) in the lumen without added GSSG but increased during the first 20 min with a rate of ~25 nmol · segment-1 · min-1 in the presence of GSSG (Fig. 3ACitation ). Thus, the rate of CySSG formation was approximately equal to the rate of GSH formation and accounted for the loss of GSSG via the reaction Cys + GSSG -> CySSG + GSH.



View larger version (23K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 3. Accumulation of cysteine-glutathione disulfide (CySSG, A), cysteine (Cys, B), total cysteine equivalents (C) and cystine (CySS, D) in lumen of rat jejunum without ({blacksquare}) and with ({diamondsuit}, {blacksquare}) the intraluminal addition of 250 µmol/L GSSG. Experiments were performed as described for Figure 1Citation , with CySSG ({diamondsuit}), Cys ({blacksquare}) and CySS ({blacksquare}) being measured by HPLC and total cysteine equivalents () being determined by HPLC after reduction by dithiothreitol. Values are means ± SEM, n = 3–4 for each point. aSignificantly different from respective control. bSignificantly different from respective 10-min time point. cSignificantly different from respective 20-min time point.

 
Accumulation of Cys and total Cys in response to GSSG.

To determine whether the reaction of Cys with GSSG caused a decrease in luminal Cys, Cys was measured as a function of time after the addition of GSSG. Cys accumulated within the lumen at a rate of 52 nmol · segment-1 · min-1 either without or with added GSSG (Fig. 3BCitation ). However, when samples were reduced with dithiothreitol before analysis, total Cys equivalents (average values for three or four intestinal preparations) increased ~86 nmol · segment-1 · min-1 in the presence of GSSG but only 60 nmol · segment-1 · min-1 without GSSG (Fig. 3CCitation ). Thus, there was a higher amount of total Cys equivalents [~26 nmol · segment-1 · min-1], all of which were in oxidized forms. This rate of GSSG-dependent increase in total Cys equivalents approximated the rate of GSSG loss (Fig. 1BCitation ) and the rates of GSH (Fig. 1BCitation ) and CySSG formation (Fig. 1ACitation ). CySS was also present (Fig. 3DCitation ) but accumulated only to a relatively low concentration and at a relatively slow rate above that without GSSG [~6 nmol · segment-1 · min-1]. Thus, the addition of GSSG to the lumen resulted in more luminal Cys equivalents that were principally due to CySSG.

Redox potential of the luminal thiol-disulfide pools.

To determine the change in redox associated with the reduction of GSSG, the Eh value for the luminal GSSG/2GSH pool was calculated with the Nernst equation. In the GSSG solution added to the lumen, the Eh was >=6 mV. By 10 min, the value was shifted to -112 mV and then to -132 and -143 mV at 20 and 30 min, respectively (Fig. 4Citation ). The value achieved by 20 min was similar to that found in the lumen in vivo and similar to the Eh for GSSG/2GSH in bile (see Introduction). Thus, the changes in GSSG and GSH concentrations in the lumen of the jejunum are associated with an adjustment in Eh of luminal thiol-disulfide pools toward in vivo luminal and biliary Eh values.



View larger version (20K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 4. Redox potential (Eh) values of glutathione (GSH) disulfide (GSSG)/2GSH, cysteine-GSSG (CySSG)/(Cys · GSH) and cystine (CySS)/2Cys pools in lumen of rat jejunum after the intraluminal addition of 250 µmol GSSG/L in jejunum. Redox potentials were calculated from the data in Figures 1Citation and 3Citation using the Nernst equation with Eo values of -264, -257 and -250 mV, pH 7.4, for GSSG/2GSH ({blacktriangleup}), CySSG/(Cys · GSH) ({diamondsuit}) and CySS/2Cys ({blacksquare}), respectively. Values are means ± SEM, n = 3–5. Eh values for GSSG/2GSH were significantly different from respective values for CySS/2Cys at all time points.

 
To determine whether the Eh for the CySS/2Cys pool was more reducing (negative) than the GSSG/2GSH pool in the lumen, as necessary for net reduction of GSSG by Cys, we determined Eh for CySS/2Cys. Eh was 17–26 mV more negative than that for GSSG/2GSH between 10 and 30 min (Fig. 4)Citation . Eh for CySSG/(GSH · Cys) was intermediate between the values for GSSG/2GSH and CySS/2Cys (Fig. 4)Citation . Thus, Eh values show that the energetics in the lumen of the small intestine are appropriate for Cys reduction of GSSG.

Eh changes in jejunal preparations without inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase.

To determine whether the capacity to reduce luminal disulfides was affected by inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase, we calculated Eh values for thiol-disulfide pools from perfused jejunal preparations without or with acivicin pretreatment. Eh was not significantly different for luminal GSSG/2GSH, CySS/2Cys or CySSG/(Cys · GSH) pools after 30 min (Table 2Citation ). Total GSH equivalents remaining after 30 min were only 1.2 ± 0.2 µmol/segment in untreated jejunum compared with 2.7 ± 0.2 µmol/segment in pretreated jejunum (Table 2)Citation . Total Cys equivalents were 2.6 ± 0.3 µmol/segment in untreated and 1.8 ± 0.1 µmol/segment in pretreated jejunum. Thus, even though the pool sizes were very different as a consequence of inhibition of {gamma}-glutamyltransferase, there was no effect on the capacity to reduce the disulfides to establish thiol-disulfide redox.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 2. Effect of acivicin pretreatment on GSSG loss, metabolite formation, and Eh in the lumen of rat jejunum123

 
Localization of the reduction mechanism in regions of the jejunum.

To assess whether modulation of luminal redox was specific to a region of the jejunum, studies were conducted in 10-cm segments of intestine incubated without or with 250 µmol GSSG/L for 10 min. The first segment was in large part duodenum, and the successive five segments were of jejunum. In jejunal segments that received buffer alone, luminal GSH was <10 µmol/L (Fig. 5ACitation ). In contrast, the duodenum had ~30 µmol GSH/L, which may have been due to remaining GSH supplied from the bile duct despite ligation or due to more active GSH secretion than was found in the jejunum. In the presence of added GSSG, GSH was substantially higher in all regions, indicating that all regions had the capacity to reduce GSSG. However, the amount of GSH was successively lower from proximal to distal jejunum, indicating that the greatest reductive capacity was in the proximal region.



View larger version (22K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 5. Intraluminal accumulation of glutathione (GSH, A), cysteine (Cys, B) and cysteine–glutathione disulfide (CySSG, C) and change in redox potential (Eh, D) of intraluminal thiol-disulfide pools in rat duodenum and regions of rat jejunum after the intraluminal administration of 250 µmol glutathione/L disulfide (GSSG). Lengths of intestine (10 cm) corresponding to duodenum and five successive lengths of jejunum were instilled with 2 mL Krebs-Henseleit buffer (pH 7.4, 37°C) containing 1 mmol glucose/L and 7 mmol glutamine/L without ({circ}, {square}) or with (•, {blacksquare}, {diamondsuit}, {blacktriangleup}) 250 µmol/L GSSG and incubated for 10 min. Values are means ± SEM, n = 3–4 for each point. (A) All data were significantly different from respective controls. (B) No significant differences were observed. (C) No CySSG was detectable in controls. (D) All jejunal Eh values for GSH/GSSG were significantly different from the duodenal value. Eh values for GSSG/2GSH couple ({blacktriangleup}) were significantly different from respective Eh values for CySSG/Cys · GSH ({diamondsuit}) for all jejunal segments.

 
Cys accumulation after 10 min was also lower from duodenum and proximal jejunum to distal jejunum (Fig. 5BCitation ). As with the 40-cm jejunal preparation at 10 min, there was no difference in luminal Cys concentration between preparations without or with GSSG. CySSG accumulation was significantly higher in regions with than without GSSG, but there was no significant difference between different regions (Fig. 5CCitation ). Calculations of Eh values for GSSG/2GSH showed that the lumina of duodenum and proximal jejunum were more reduced than the distal regions (Fig. 5DCitation ). Eh for CySSG/(GSH · Cys) similarly showed that proximal jejunum was more reduced than distal jejunum. These values were ~15 mV more reduced than that for GSSG/2GSH (Fig. 5DCitation ). Therefore, the capacity to reduce GSSG is greatest in the proximal jejunum, i.e., the region of the jejunum with the greatest rate of Cys release into the lumen.


    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
The steady-state redox of thiol-disulfide pools in biologic systems represents a balance between oxidative and reductive processes. Considerable evidence shows that cells have effective mechanisms to control thiol-disulfide redox even in the presence of oxidative challenge. These mechanisms are often coupled to NADPH through flavin-containing reductases, such as GSSG reductase and thioredoxin reductase (Powis et al. 1995Citation and 1998Citation ).

In contrast, relatively little is known about the control of extracellular thiol-disulfide redox. In human plasma, GSSG/2GSH redox appears to be tightly regulated because interindividual variation is small. Measurements in 24 healthy, young individuals showed a mean of -137 mV with 1 SD of only ±9 mV (Jones et al. 2000Citation ). The CySS/2Cys pool was considerably more oxidized (-80 mV) but also had a relatively small standard deviation (±9 mV). GSH is released at a substantial rate from the liver, and this process appears to be a major mechanism for controlling plasma thiol-disulfide redox.

The current data show that the rat jejunum has the capacity to reduce a luminal disulfide to bring the Eh to a range similar to that found in vivo. However, unlike in plasma, the Eh of the CySS/2Cys pool was more reduced than that for the GSSG/2GSH pool, indicating that the reductant to maintain the luminal redox is Cys rather than GSH. Because Cys is released into the lumen at a substantial rate (Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ) and CySS is rapidly taken up across the brush border (Neil 1959Citation ), the combination of these processes with intracellular reduction of CySS could provide a Cys–CySS shuttle for the control of luminal thiol-disulfide redox (Fig. 6Citation ). The intestinal mucosa has a relatively high Cys content (~25% of the GSH concentration; Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ), and this Cys could be released to the lumen via a system that is sensitive to luminal redox. However, if such a system exists, it would function in opposition to the known intestinal absorption of Cys. Thus, regulation of the direction of transport would be necessary to avoid an energy-wasting futile cycle. For instance, uptake of Cys could occur within a certain redox range, whereas release of Cys could occur if the luminal redox is too oxidized.



View larger version (16K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 6. Hypothetical cysteine (Cys)-cystine (CySS) shuttle for maintenance of luminal thiol-disulfide redox state. Cys is released directly or as a degradation product of glutathione (GSH) from the intestinal epithelium across the brush border membrane. In the lumen, Cys reduces disulfides with intermediate formation of Cys–GSH disulfide (CySSG) and ultimate formation of CySS. CySS is transported across the brush border and reduced to Cys intracellularly by GSH. GSH disulfide (GSSG) is reduced to GSH by NADPH-dependent GSSG reductase. Note that the normal process of Cys uptake into the epithelium during protein digestion occurs in opposition to the direction of transport of this hypothetical shuttle mechanism. Thus, if this shuttle system functions to reduce luminal disulfides and maintain luminal redox, then it is likely that cysteine uptake is inhibited in concert with activation of cysteine efflux. Alternatively, the supply of luminal thiol could be due to GSH release followed by degradation of GSH to yield Cys in the lumen.

 
An alternative possibility is that the luminal Cys is mostly derived from GSH. Inhibitor studies indicate that a portion of the Cys appearing in the lumen of the isolated jejunum is derived from GSH that is released from the epithelium (Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ). Although this GSH may be used for detoxification of electrophils by the GSH S-transferase associated with intestinal mucus (Samiec et al. 2000Citation ), most is degraded to Cys by {gamma}-glutamyltransferase and dipeptidases associated with the brush border (Dahm and Jones 1994Citation ). Stimulated GSH release in response to oxidized luminal conditions could thereby supply Cys and support a shuttle mechanism analogous to that shown in Figure 6Citation .

The control of luminal redox by such a shuttle mechanism could be very important for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and absorptive functions. In rat, processes such as iron and selenium absorption are thiol dependent and may, in fact, be redox dependent (Scharrer et al. 1992Citation , Wien and Van Campen 1991bCitation and 1994Citation ). The inability to regulate luminal redox may therefore limit absorption and result in a requirement for added Cys or other thiols to support absorption. Disulfide reduction may facilitate protein digestion by disrupting disulfide-linked peptides. Disulfide cross-links increase the viscosity of mucus (Snary et al. 1970Citation ), and thiols function as mucolytic agents (Rhee et al. 1999Citation ). Thus, redox could affect mucus thickness or inappropriate sloughing and this could be particularly important under oxidative conditions, such as immune activation.

In summary, the results of the current study show that the jejunum can reduce luminal GSSG to GSH with concomitant formation of the disulfide of GSH and Cys. Within 20 min, the redox potential of the GSSG/2GSH pool was brought to a value similar to that found in the lumen in vivo. The Eh of the CySS/2Cys pool was consistently ~20 mV more reduced than that for the GSSG/2GSH pool, indicating that disulfide reduction in the lumen could involve a Cys–CySS shuttle mechanism. GSSG reduction decreased from proximal to distal jejunum. This reductive mechanism may be important for the absorption of redox-sensitive nutrients and the maintenance of conditions for digestion, and failure of this mechanism could contribute to malabsorption and digestive disorders.


    FOOTNOTES
 
1 Supported by National Institutes of Health Grants ES09047 and HL39968. Back

2 Current address: Pfizer, Inc., Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340. Back

4 Abbreviations used: Cys, cysteine; CySS, cystine; CySSG, cysteine–glutathione disulfide; Eh, redox potential; GSH, glutathione; GSSG, glutathione disulfide. Back

Manuscript received April 10, 2000. Initial review completed May 26, 2000. Revision accepted July 12, 2000.


    REFERENCES
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 

1. Aw T. Y., Williams M. W. Intestinal absorption and lymphatic transport of peroxidized lipids in rats: effect of exogenous GSH. Am. J. Physiol. 1992;263:G665-G672[Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. Aw T. Y., Williams M. W., Gray L. Absorption and lymphatic transport of peroxidized lipids by rat small intestine in vivo: role of mucosal GSH. Am. J. Physiol. 1992;262:G99-G106[Abstract/Free Full Text]

3. Ballatori N., Rebbeor J. F. Roles of MRP2 and oatp1 in hepatocellular export of reduced glutathione. Semin. Liver Dis. 1998;18:377-387[Medline]

4. Clark W. M. Oxidation-Reduction Potentials of Organic Systems 1960 Williams & Wilkins Baltimore, MD.

5. Dahm L. J., Jones D. P. Secretion of cysteine and glutathione from mucosa to lumen in rat small intestine. Am. J. Physiol. 1994;267:G292-G300[Abstract/Free Full Text]

6. Eberle D., Clarke R., Kaplowitz N. Rapid oxidation in vitro of endogenous and exogenous glutathione in bile of rats. J. Biol. Chem. 1981;256:2115-2117[Abstract/Free Full Text]

7. Ellman G. Tissue sulfhydryl groups. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 1959;82:70-77[Medline]

8. Ellman G., Lysko H. A precise method for the determination of whole blood and plasma sulfhydryl groups. Anal. Biochem. 1979;93:98-102[Medline]

9. Fariss M. W., Reed D. J. High-performance liquid chromatography of thiols and disulfides: dinitrophenol derivatives. Methods Enzymol 1987;143:101-109[Medline]

10. Gad S., Weil C. S. Statistics and Experimental Design for Toxicologists 1986 Telford Caldwell, NJ.

11. Gilbert H. F. Molecular and cellular aspects of thiol-disulfide exchange. Adv Enzymol. Relat. Areas Mol. Biol. 1990;63:69-172[Medline]

12. Hagen T. M., Bai C., Jones D. P. Stimulation of glutathione absorption in rat small intestine by {alpha}-adrenergic agonists. FASEB J 1991;5:2721-2727[Abstract]

13. Hagen T. M., Jones D. P. Transepithelial transport of glutathione in vascularly perfused small intestine of rat. Am. J. Physiol. 1987;252:G607-G613[Abstract/Free Full Text]

14. Hagen T. M., Wierzbicka G. T., Bowman B. B., Aw T. Y, Jones D. P Fate of dietary glutathione: disposition in the gastrointestinal tract. Am. J. Physiol. 1990;259:G530-G535[Abstract/Free Full Text]

15. Jonas C. R., Estivariz C. F., Jones D. P., Gu L. H., Wallace T. M., Diaz E. E., Pascal R. R., Cotsonis G. A., Ziegler T. R. Keratinocyte growth factor enhances glutathione redox state in rat intestinal mucosa during nutritional repletion. J. Nutr. 1999;129:1278-1284[Abstract/Free Full Text]

16. Jones D. P., Carlson J. L., Mody V. C., Jr, Cai J., Lynn M. J., Sternberg P., Jr Redox state of glutathione in human plasma. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 2000;28:625-635[Medline]

17. Jones D. P., Coates R. J., Flagg E. W., Eley J. W., Block G., Greenberg R. S., Gunter E. W., Jackson B. Glutathione in foods listed in the National Cancer Institute’s Health Habits and History Food Frequency Questionnaire. Nutr. Cancer 1992;17:57-75[Medline]

18. Kaplowitz N., Fernandez-Checa J. C., Kannan R., Garcia-Ruiz C., Ookhtens M., Yi J. R. GSH transporters: molecular characterization and role in GSH homeostasis. Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 1996;377:267-273[Medline]

19. Kowalski D. P., Feeley R. M., Jones D. P. Use of exogenous glutathione for metabolism of peroxidized methyl linoleate in the small intestine. J. Nutr. 1990;120:1115-1121

20. Neil M. W. The absorption of cystine and cysteine from rat small intestine. Biochem. J. 1959;71:118-124

21. Orlowski M., Meister A. {gamma}-Glutamyl-p-nitroanilide: a new convenient substrate for determination and study of L- and D-{gamma}-glutamyltranspeptidase activities. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1963;73:679-681

22. Powis G., Briehl M., Oblong J. Redox signalling and the control of cell growth and death. Pharmacol. Ther. 1995;68:149-173[Medline]

23. Powis G., Kirkpatrick D. L., Angulo M., Baker A. Thioredoxin redox control of cell growth and death and the effects of inhibitors. Chem.-Biol. Interact. 1998;111–112:23-34

24. Rhee C. S., Majima Y., Cho J. S., Arima S., Min Y. G., Sakakura Y. Effects of mucokinetic drugs on rheological properties of reconstituted human nasal mucus. Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 1999;125:101-105

25. Rost J., Rapoport S. Reduction potential of glutathione. Nature (Lond.) 1964;201:185[Medline]

26. Samiec P. L., Dahm L. J., Jones D. P. Glutathione S-transferase in mucus of rat small intestine. Toxicol. Sci. 2000;54:52-59[Abstract/Free Full Text]

27. Scharrer E., Senn E., Wolffram S. Stimulation of mucosal uptake of selenium from selenite by some thiols at various sites of rat intestine. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 1992;33:109-129[Medline]

28. Snary D., Allen A., Pain R. H. Structural studies on gastric mucoproteins: lowering of molecular weight after reduction with 2 mercaptoethanol. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 1970;40:844-851[Medline]

29. Steel R.G.D., Torrie J. H. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach 2nd ed. 1980 McGraw-Hill New York.

30. Van Campen D. Enhancement of iron absorption from ligated segments of rat intestine by histidine, cysteine and lysine: effects of removing ionizing groups and of stereoisomerism. J. Nutr. 1973;103:139-142

31. Wien E. M., Van Campen D. R. Mucus and iron absorption regulation in rats fed various levels of dietary iron. J. Nutr. 1991a;121:92-100

32. Wien E. M., Van Campen D. R. Ferric iron absorption in rats: relationship to iron status, endogenous sulfhydryl and other redox components in the intestinal lumen. J. Nutr. 1991b;121:825-831

33. Wien E. M., Van Campen D. R. Enhanced Fe(3+)-reducing capacity does not seem to play a major role in increasing iron absorption in iron-deficient rats. J. Nutr. 1994;124:2006-2015

34. Wierzbicka G. T., Hagen T. M., Jones D. P. Glutathione in food. J. Food Comp. Anal. 1989;2:327-337

35. Windmueller H. G. Glutamine utilization by the small intestine. Adv. Enzymol. 1982;53:201-237




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
C. L. Anderson, S. S. Iyer, T. R. Ziegler, and D. P. Jones
Control of extracellular cysteine/cystine redox state by HT-29 cells is independent of cellular glutathione
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): R1069 - R1075.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Nutr.Home page
G. K. Grimble
Adverse Gastrointestinal Effects of Arginine and Related Amino Acids
J. Nutr., June 1, 2007; 137(6): 1693S - 1701S.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Nutr.Home page
R. Moreno-Reyes, D. Egrise, M. Boelaert, S. Goldman, and S. Meuris
Iodine Deficiency Mitigates Growth Retardation and Osteopenia in Selenium-Deficient Rats
J. Nutr., March 1, 2006; 136(3): 595 - 600.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
M. H. Stipanuk, L. L. Hirschberger, M. P. Londono, C. L. Cresenzi, and A. F. Yu
The ubiquitin-proteasome system is responsible for cysteine-responsive regulation of cysteine dioxygenase concentration in liver
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, March 1, 2004; 286(3): E439 - E448.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
C. R. Jonas, L. H. Gu, Y. S. Nkabyo, Y. O. Mannery, N. E. Avissar, H. C. Sax, D. P. Jones, and T. R. Ziegler
Glutamine and KGF each regulate extracellular thiol/disulfide redox and enhance proliferation in Caco-2 cells
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2003; 285(6): R1421 - R1429.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Toxicol PatholHome page
R. Kohen and A. Nyska
Invited Review: Oxidation of Biological Systems: Oxidative Stress Phenomena, Antioxidants, Redox Reactions, and Methods for Their Quantification
Toxicol Pathol, October 1, 2002; 30(6): 620 - 650.
[Abstract] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dahm, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, D. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dahm, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, D. P.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
*Compound via MeSH
*Substance via MeSH
Hazardous Substances DB
*CYSTEINE


Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Copyright © 2000 by American Society for Nutrition