Infliximab modifies mesenteric adipose tissue alterations and intestinal inflammation in rats with TNBS-induced colitis

Objective. Infliximab is a monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody that is used therapeutically to treat Crohn's disease (CD). High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-alpha, have been observed in the gastrointestinal tract of CD patients and were associated with alterations in the mesenteric adipose tissue, which also contributed to the high levels of adipokine release. The authors used a rat model of colitis that produces mesenteric adipose tissue alterations that are associated with intestinal inflammation to study the effects that infliximab treatment has on adipokine production, morphological alterations in adipose tissue and intestinal inflammation. Material and methods. The ability of infliximab to neutralize rat TNF-alpha was evaluated in vitro using U937 cells. Colitis was induced by repeated intracolonic trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid instillations and was evaluated by macroscopic score, histopathological analysis, myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-alpha and IL-10 expression as well as iNOS (inducible NO synthase) expression and JNK phosphorylation in colon samples. The alterations in adipose tissue were assessed by TNF-alpha, IL-10, leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels as well as adipocyte size and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma expression. Results. Infliximab treatment controlled intestinal inflammation, which reduced lesions and neutrophil infiltration. Inflammatory markers, such as iNOS expression and JNK phosphorylation, were also reduced. In mesenteric adipose tissue, infliximab increased the production of IL-10 and resistin, which was associated with the restoration of adipocyte morphology and PPAR-gamma expression. Conclusions. Our results suggest that infliximab could contribute to the control of intestinal inflammation by modifying adipokine production by mesenteric adipose tissue.