Work

Mucus Barriers to Microparticles and Microbes are Altered in Hirschsprung's Disease

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: Mucus forms a protective hydrogel layer over the intestinal epithelium, presenting a selective and robust barrier to the uptake of particulates and microbe invasion. Disease can alter mucus production and composition, thus potentially modifying mucosal barrier properties. Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is a developmental abnormality of the nervous system often complicated by intestinal infection. An investigation of colonic mucus barrier properties in an HD animal model, endothelin receptor B mutant mice, revealed significantly reduced microsphere (passive) and microbe (active) transport rates (7-fold and 3.6-fold, respectively, in proximal colonic mucus) relative to wild-type. Transport differences were evident in both the ganglionic and aganglionic colon segments, in agreement with the risk of HD-associated enterocolitis after surgery to remove aganglionic colon segments. The development of therapies aimed at altering colonic mucus barrier properties could be explored towards preventing the onset of enterocolitis in HD.

Source: Macromolecular Bioscience

DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201400473

Authors: Hasan M. Yildiz, Taylor L. Carlson, Allan M. Goldstein, Rebecca L. Carrier

Institutions: Northeastern University, Massachusetts General Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Congenital gastrointestinal and neural anomalies

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering