Investigation of the effect of acute radiation on enteroendocrine L-cell health and function
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Abstract
Radiation enteropathy is a commonly observed syndrome induced by abdominal and pelvic radiation therapy characterized by acute and/or chronic pain and loss of proper gut function. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), an important peptide hormone in the enhancement of proper intestinal function, proliferation of intestinal tissue and inhibition of enterocyte apoptosis, is a known treatment option of malabsorption disorders of the intestines. Recent developments have demonstrated that exogenous GLP-2 treatments attenuate and facilitate recovery of radiation- induced gut injury. This study aims to elucidate the effects of radiation therapy on endogenous GLP-2 secretion from intestinal L-cells as this is poorly understood. In mice, L-cell counts remained unchanged 48 hours post-irradiation but total circulating GLP-2 was increased. Irradiation of in-vitro L-cell models demonstrated a trend of increased hormone secretion at intermediate doses and significant increase in cell viability and mitochondrial activity. The stimulatory effect of radiation on L-cell should be investigated in future studies.