Acid sphingomyelinase inhibition suppresses lipopolysaccharide‐mediated release of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages and protects against disease pathology in dextran sulphate sodium‐induced colitis in mice

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines cause activation of sphingomyelinases (SMases) and subsequent hydrolysis of sphingomyelin (SM) to produce a lipid messenger ceramide. The design of SMase inhibitors may offer new therapies for the treatment of LPS- and cytokine-related inflammatory bowel disease. We synthesized a series of difluoromethylene analogues of SM (SMAs). We report here the effects of the most potent SMase inhibitor, SMA-7, on the LPS-mediated release of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 from THP-1 macrophages and the pathology of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. SMA-7 suppressed the LPS-induced cytokine release and nuclear factor-κB activation. LPS stimulation caused a four-fold increase in acid SMase activation, but little increase in neutral SMase activity. The presence of 10 μm SMA-7 caused acid SMase to remain at the control levels and reduced the formation of ceramide. HT-29 cells had significantly decreased cell viability when incubated with media from LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages. However, incubating the colon cells in media from both SMA-7 and LPS-treated macrophages caused little decrease in viability, suggesting that ceramide has a role in the LPS-stimulated signalling that releases cytotoxic factors against colon cells. Oral administration of SMA-7 to mice with 2% DSS in the drinking water, for 10 or 21 consecutive days, reduced significantly the cytokine levels in the colon and the severity of colonic injury. These findings suggest a central role for acid SMase/ceramide signalling in the pathology of DSS-induced colitis in mice, indicating a possible preventive or therapeutic role for SMase inhibitor in inflammatory bowel disease.