heparitin-sulfate and Inflammatory-Bowel-Diseases

Heparanase is the only known mammalian endoglycosidase capable of degrading heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan, both in extracellular space and within the cells. It is tightly implicated in cancer progression and over the past few decades significant progress has been made in elucidating the multiple functions of heparanase in malignant tumor development, neovascularization and aggressive behavior. Notably, current data show that in addition to its well characterized role in cancer, heparanase activity may represent an important determinant in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory disorders, such as inflammatory lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic colitis. Nevertheless, the precise mode of heparanase action in inflammatory reactions remains largely unclear and recent observations suggest that heparanase can either facilitate or limit inflammatory responses, when tissue/cell-specific contextual cues may dictate an outcome of heparanase action in inflammation. In this review the involvement of heparanase in modulation of inflammatory reactions is discussed through a few illustrative examples, including neuroinflammation, sepsis-associated lung injury and inflammatory bowel disease. We also discuss possible action of the enzyme in coupling inflammation and tumorigenesis in the setting of inflammation-triggered cancer.

Topics: Carcinogenesis; Extracellular Matrix; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucuronidase; Heparitin Sulfate; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Macrophages; Neoplasms; Pneumonia; Signal Transduction

Heparin apparently aids healing in ulcerative colitis although its mechanism of action is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that heparin functions as a coreceptor molecule for basic fibroblast growth factor, a role usually performed by heparan sulfate chains on syndecan-1. A marked reduction of syndecan-1 immunostaining was found in reparative epithelium from inflammatory bowel disease patients. Removal of heparan sulfate on gastrointestinal epithelial cells in vitro reduced the proliferative response to basic fibroblast growth factor. The response to basic fibroblast growth factor was completely restored by the addition of heparin. Loss of syndecan-1 expression occurs in the regenerative mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease. Although this may facilitate tissue motility, its loss probably adversely affects the ability of cells to bind basic fibroblast growth factor. The present data show that heparin may substitute the loss of functional activity of syndecan-1 in the binding of basic fibroblast growth factor.

Topics: Cells, Cultured; Colitis, Ulcerative; Crohn Disease; Epithelial Cells; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; Heparin; Heparitin Sulfate; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Intestinal Mucosa; Membrane Glycoproteins; Proteoglycans; Syndecan-1; Syndecans

Oral glucosamine has anti-inflammatory activity in rodents, and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be clinically useful in inflammatory bowel disorders. A possible explanation is that supplemental glucosamine increases production of heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans by the vascular endothelium, thereby improving the endothelium's barrier function. Extravasation of leukocytes and metastatic cancer cells requires degradation of HS. Heparin can inhibit neutrophil activation, adhesion, and chemotaxis, and--like glucosamine--has been reported effective for managing inflammatory bowel syndromes. Cytokine-mediated loss of endothelial HS may be a key factor in the coordinated inflammatory response. These considerations suggest that glucosamine may have clinical utility in a range of inflammatory disorders, and should be assessed with regard to its impact on cancer metastasis and peripheral ischemic disease. In inflammatory bowel disease, fish oil, ginkgolides, and enteric-coated 5-aminosalicylic acid may safely complement the efficacy of glucosamine.

Topics: Animals; Endothelium, Vascular; Glucosamine; Heparitin Sulfate; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Leukocytes; Models, Biological