Peptide Inhibitors of MK2 Show Promise for Inhibition of Abdominal Adhesions

Overview

Journal J Surg Res

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2011 Apr 16

PMID 21492875

Citations 16

Authors

Brian C Ward

Sandra Kavalukas

Jamie Brugnano

Adrian Barbul

Alyssa Panitch

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Abdominal adhesions are a common side effect of surgical procedures with complications including infertility, chronic pain, and bowel obstruction, which may lead to the need for surgical lyses of the adhesions. Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) has been implicated in several diseases, involving inflammation and fibrosis. Thus, the development of a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) that modulates MK2 activity may confer therapeutic benefit after abdominal surgery in general and more specifically after bowel anastomosis.

Methods: This study evaluated the function of a CPP inhibitor of MK2 in human mesothelial cells and in a rat bowel anastomosis model. To determine IC50 and basic specificity, kinase inhibition was performed using a radiometric assay. Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was used to evaluate interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in response to IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulation in vitro to validate MK2 kinase inhibition. Following bowel anastomosis (10 rats for each control and treatment at 4 and 10 d), the rats were evaluated for weight loss, normal healing (colonic burst strength and hydroxyproline content at the anastomosis), and number and density of adhesions.

Results: The IC50 of the MK2 inhibitor peptide (22 μM) was similar to that of the nonspecific small molecule rottlerin (IC50 = 5 μM). The MK2 inhibitor peptide was effective at suppressing IL-1β and TNF-α stimulated IL-6 expression in mesothelial cells. In vivo, the MK2 inhibitor peptide was effective at suppressing both the density and number of adhesions formed as a result of bowel an anastamosis. Importantly, the peptide had no negative effect on normal healing.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the peptide inhibitor of MK2, MMI-0100, has the potential to significantly reduce inflammation through suppression of inflammatory cytokine expression and showed promise as a therapeutic for abdominal adhesions.

Citing Articles

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Intranasal MMI-0100 Attenuates Aβ- and LPS-Induced Neuroinflammation and Memory Impairments via the MK2 Signaling Pathway.

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MMI-0100 ameliorates lung inflammation in a mouse model of acute respiratory distress syndrome by reducing endothelial expression of ICAM-1.

He B, Geng S, Zhou W, Rui Y, Mu X, Zhang C Drug Des Devel Ther. 2018; 12:4253-4260.

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PMID: 30130411 PMC: 6348722. DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0033OC.

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