BACKGROUND AND AIMS Obese and diabetic mice display enhanced intestinal permeability and metabolic endotoxaemia that participate in the occurrence of metabolic disorders. Our recent data support the idea that a selective increase of Bifidobacterium spp. reduces the impact of high-fat diet-induced metabolic endotoxaemia and inflammatory disorders. Here, we hypothesised that prebiotic modulation ...

As more is learned about the importance of the intestinal microbiome to human health there is increasing interest in the potential benefits of probiotics. Probiotics are live micro-organisms which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health effect on the host by altering its microflora. Probiotics have been administered both prophylactically and therapeutically for various conditions. T...

Introduction Alterations in bidirectional brain-gut microbiota interactions are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of well-known braingut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and related functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (1, 2) and have more recently been implicated as a possible mechanism in the pathophysiology of several brain disorders including autism spectrum ...

With the high prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders, there is great interest in establishing in vitro models of human intestinal disease and in developing drug-screening platforms that more accurately represent the complex physiology of the intestine. We will review how recent advances in developmental and stem cell biology have made it possible to generate complex, three-dimensional, human ...

The intestinal immune system ingeniously balances the distinct responses of elimination and tolerance of non-self-substances for the creation and maintenance of homeostatic environments. Accumulating evidence has recently shown that various lipids, including dietary one, are involved in the regulation of intestinal immunity and are associated with biophylaxis and immune disorders. Recent advanc...

Over the past few years, there is increasing evidence implicating a novel role for Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase (IAP) in mitigating inflammatory mediated disorders. IAP is an endogenous protein expressed by the intestinal epithelium that is believed to play a vital role in maintaining gut homeostasis. Loss of IAP expression or function is associated with increased intestinal inflammation, dy...

Tight junctions are dynamic structures that may undergo structural and functional changes in response to both physiological and pathological circumstances. Several microbial pathogens impair intestinal barrier function by exploiting tight junctions. These pathogens have developed a broad and complex range of strategies to subvert host tight junction barrier function. The purpose of this review ...

Purinergic mediators such as adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) are released into the extracellular compartment from damaged tissues and activated immune cells. They are then recognized by multiple purinergic P2X and P2Y receptors. Release and recognition of extracellular ATP are associated with both the development and the resolution of inflammation and infection. Accumulating evidence has recent...

The paper reviews the present-day knowledge on the origin, location, morphology, function, and identification of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). ICC include several types of mesenchymal cells, spindle-shaped or stellate, found within the musculature of the gastrointestinal tract. Some types of ICC act as pacemakers of the intestinal musculature, while others are implicated in the modulation ...