Abstract
Thin filament-associated proteins such as calponin, caldesmon, tropomyosin, and smoothelin are thought to regulate acto-myosin interaction and thus, muscle contraction. However, the effect of inflammation on the expression of thin filament-associated proteins is not known. The aim of the present study is to determine the changes in the expression of calponin, caldesmon, tropomyosin, and smoothelin in colonic smooth muscle from trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)- and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Expression of h-caldesmon, h2-calponin, α-tropomyosin, and smoothelin-A was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Contraction in response to acetylcholine in dispersed muscle cells was measured by scanning micrometry. mRNA and protein expression of α-actin, h2-calponin, h-caldesmon, smoothelin, and α-tropomyosin in colonic muscle strips from mice with TNBS- or DSS-induced colitis was significantly increased compared to control animals. Contraction in response to acetylcholine was significantly decreased in muscle cells isolated from inflamed regions of TNBS- or DSS-treated mice compared to control mice. Our results show that increase in the expression of thin filament-associated contractile proteins, which inhibit acto-myosin interaction, could contribute to decrease in smooth muscle contraction in inflammation.