In epithelial cells isolated from rat small intestine, we have studied the influence of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a neurotransmitter which markedly increases enterocyte cyclic AMP, and of two cyclic AMP analogues (8-bromo cyclic AMP and N6,2'-O-dibutyryl cyclic AMP) on the rate of glycolysis, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentration and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase activity, as well as on...

D-mannose transport and metabolism has been studied in enterocytes isolated from chicken small intestine. In the presence of Na(+), the mannose taken up by the cells either remains free, is phosphorylated, is catabolized to H(2)O, or becomes part of membrane components. The mannose remaining free in the cytosol is released when the cells are transferred to an ice bath. The Na(+)-dependent D-man...

The expression of statin, a 57,000 Mr nuclear protein specifically present in non-proliferating cultured fibroblasts, was studied in vivo in the differentiating epithelial cells of the rat intestine. Using immunofluorescence microscopy we found that undifferentiated, proliferating crypt enterocytes are statin negative, whereas the differentiated non-proliferating villus enterocytes are statin p...

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by chronic and relapsing inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Clinical treatments fail to reduce induce side effects in nearly 30% patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are immunomodulatory agents that can encourage tissue repair regeneration.
 Aim: To investigate ability MSCs differentiate i...

BACKGROUND Surgical stress affects intestinal permeability and our earlier study using a rat model indicated that oxidative stress plays an important role in this process. Proteases are important mediators of cellular damage and are known to be activated in oxidative stress. This study looked at protease activity in enterocytes after surgical stress. METHODS Surgical stress was induced by ope...

1. Enterocytes, isolated from the proximal jejinum and distal ileum of the rat, were homogenized and their organelles separated by isopycnic centrifugation on continuous sucrose density gradients. The distributions of marker enzymes for the principal organelles, RNA and protein were determined in the sucrose gradients and related to the activities per entercocyte. 2. In the jejunum the modal eq...