Epithelial Antibiotics Induced at Sites of Inflammation

TLDR

The role of antimicrobial peptides in epithelial defense remains incompletely understood. The study isolated the bovine lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP) and cloned its cDNA. LAP exhibits broad antibacterial and antifungal activity, and its expression rises in tongue epithelium during acute and chronic inflammation, indicating a role in the inflammatory response.

Abstract

The role of antimicrobial peptides in epithelial defense is not fully understood. An epithelial beta-defensin, lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), was isolated from bovine tongue and the corresponding complementary DNA cloned. LAP showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activities. LAP messenger RNA abundance was markedly increased in the epithelium surrounding naturally occurring tongue lesions. This increase coincided with the cellular hallmarks of acute and chronic inflammation in the underlying lamina propria, supporting a role for epithelial antimicrobial peptides as integral components of the inflammatory response.