The development of the vertebrate gut requires signaling between the endoderm and mesoderm for establishing its normal anteroposterior (AP) axis and for tissue-specific differentiation. Factors implicated in positional specification of the AP regions of the gut include endodermally expressed Sonic hedgehog (Shh), mesodermally expressed Bmp4 and members of the Hox gene family. We have investigat...

The New World Anoplotermes group is a common and diverse clade of soil-dwelling soldierless termites that is undergoing needed taxonomic reclassification. Based on robust worker gut morphology centered near the enteric valve, a new genus and its singular species, Compositermes vindai, are described from collections encompassing a massive expanse of tropical America. The enteric valve armature i...

8 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 10 1. The immune system 10 2. Gut immune system 10 2.1 Structure and function 10 2.2 Cells in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue 11 2.3 Mucosal immune responses and oral tolerance 18 2.4 Oral tolerance in autoimmune diseases 20 3. Adhesion molecules 21 3.1 Homing receptors in the gut 22 3.2 Alterations in lymphocyte recruitment during intestinal inflammation 23 4. Med...

BACKGROUND The gut microbiota of breast-fed and formula-fed infants differ significantly, as do the risks for allergies, gut dysfunction, and upper respiratory tract infections. The connections between breast milk, various formulas, and the profiles of gut bacteria to these childhood illnesses, as well as the mechanisms underlying the effects, are not well understood. METHODS We investigated ...

We intended to assess how exposure of piglets to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated feed impacted their growth, immune response and gut development. Piglets were fed traditional Phase I, Phase II and Phase III diets with the control group receiving 0.20-0.40 ppm DON (referred to as the Control group) and treatment group receiving much higher level of DON-contaminated wheat (3.30-3.80 ppm; referr...

BACKGROUND & AIMS CD36 has immuno-metabolic actions and is abundant in the small intestine on epithelial, endothelial and immune cells. We examined the role of CD36 in gut homeostasis using mice null for CD36 (CD36KO) and with CD36 deletion specific to enterocytes (Ent-CD36KO) or endothelial cells (EC-CD36KO). METHODS Intestinal morphology was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and electron...

The mechanism of alcohol-mediated increased infection in burn patients remains unknown. With the use of a rat model of acute alcohol and burn injury, the present study ascertained whether acute alcohol exposure before thermal injury enhances gut bacterial translocation. On day 2 postinjury, we found a severalfold increase in gut bacterial translocation in rats receiving both alcohol and burn in...

The gastrointestinal tract of Ciona intestinalis, a solitary tunicate that siphon-filters water, shares similarities with its mammalian counterpart. The Ciona gut exhibits other features that are unique to protochordates, including certain immune molecules, and other characteristics, e.g. chitin-rich mucus, which appears to be more widespread than considered previously. Exposure of Ciona to dex...

A diet for broiler chickens that provides the nutrients essential for maintenance and growth of the flock as a whole may also have chemical and physical properties which are detrimental to the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport and utilization of nutrients. The digestive capacity of the chicken can be modelled according to interactions between feed– related and bird–relate...

BACKGROUND Rodent models of abdominal wall defects (AWD) may provide insight into the pathophysiology of these conditions including gut dysfunction in gastroschisis, or pulmonary hypoplasia in exomphalos. Previously, a Scribble mutant mouse model (circletail) was reported to exhibit gastroschisis. We further characterise this AWD in Scribble knockout mice. METHOD Homozygous Scrib knockout mic...