Previous studies have shown that high concentrations of ethanol (≥40%) cause functional damage of the gastrointestinal epithelial barrier by direct cytotoxic effect on the epithelial cells. The effects of lower noncytotoxic doses of ethanol on epithelial barrier function are unknown. A major function of gastrointestinal epithelial cells is to provide a barrier against the hostile substances in ...

polyamide 6 has been widely used in food packaging applications and also green tea contains amounts of antioxidant compounds. the aim of this study was investigation of green tea effects on properties of polyamide packaging polymer. polyamide 6 was dissolved in methanol which was saturated with calcium chloride. the active packaging film was produced by incorporation of methanol green tea extra...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial inflammatory skin disease perpetuated by gene-environmental interactions and which is characterized by genetic barrier defects and allergic inflammation. Recent studies demonstrate an important role for the epidermal permeability barrier in AD that is closely related to chronic immune activation in the skin during systemic allergic reactions. Moreover,...

Exchange between the nucleus and the cytoplasm occurs through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) embedded in the double membrane of the nuclear envelope. NPC permeability barrier restricts the entry of inert molecules larger than 5 nm in diameter but allows facilitated entry of selected cargos, whose size can reach up to 39 nm. The translocation of large molecules is facilitated by nuclear transport...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Enhanced vascular permeability attributable to disruption of blood-brain barrier results in the development of cerebral edema after stroke. Using an in vitro model of the brain barrier composed of human brain microvascular endothelial cells and human astrocytes, this study explored whether small GTPase RhoA and its effector protein Rho kinase were involved in permeability...

The mechanisms involved in the restoration of endothelial cell junctions subsequent to barrier disruption remain unclear. It is known that formation of adherens junctions (AJs) affects cytoskeletal actin arrangement and that Rho GTPases regulate the state of actin polymerization. In the present study, we examined the role of the Rho GTPases, Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 in the reannealing of AJs. We stu...

Recent studies have shown that psychological stress can influence cutaneous barrier function, suggesting that this form of stress could trigger or aggravate skin disease. In the present study, we demonstrate that transfer of hairless mice to a different cage delays barrier recovery rates. Pretreatment with a phenothiazine sedative, chlorpromazine, before transfer of animals restored the kinetic...

There is now convincing evidence that the airway epithelium drives the pathogenesis of COPD. A major aspect of this is the disease-related reduction in barrier function that is potentiated by dysregulation of tight junction (TJ) protein complexes. However, a significant number of studies using in vitro smoke exposure models have not observed alterations in barrier permeability. We have previous...

The permeability of the blood-ocular barrier was investigated in five monkeys using vitreous fluorophotometry (VFP). Inward permeability (Pin) of the blood-retinal barrier was calculated by a computer simulation method. Kinetic VFP was performed after intravitreal injection of fluorescein (F) or fluorescein monoglucuronide (FG). The estimated mean value of Pin (x10(-6) cm/min) was 4.8 (SD 1.2)....