Orally Administered Lactoperoxidase Increases Expression of the FK506 Binding Protein 5 Gene in Epithelial Cells of the Small Intestine of Mice: A DNA Microarray Study

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is a component of milk and other external secretions. To study the influence of ingested LPO on the digestive tract, we performed DNA microarray analysis of the small intestine of mice administered LPO. LPO administration upregulated 78 genes, including genes involved in metabolism, immunity, apoptosis, and the cell cycle, and downregulated nine genes, including immunity-related genes. The most upregulated gene was FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5), a glucocorticoid regulating immunophilin. The upregulation of this gene was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR in other samples. In situ hybridization revealed that expression of the FKBP5 gene in the crypt epithelial cells of the small intestine was enhanced by LPO. These results suggest that ingested LPO modulates gene expression in the small intestine and especially increases FKBP5 gene expression in the epithelial cells of the intestine.