A probiotic restores mucosal barrier function

A probiotic restores mucosal barrier function after stress in animals

Using a stress model in animals, Da Silva and colleagues induced gut hyperpermeability and visceral hypersensitivity as well as a shift in O-glycosylation of mucins, associated with flattening and loss of the mucus layer cohesive properties. The probiotic L. farciminis bound to intestinal Muc2 prevented stress-induced functional alterations and changes in mucin O-glycosylation and mucus physical properties and restored epithelial and mucus barrier strengthening.

Lactobacillus near a squamous epithelial cell. Photo Credit: Janice Carr Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Mike Miller

Da Silva et al. Stress disrupts intestinal mucus barrier in rats via mucin O-glycosylation shift: prevention by a probiotic treatment. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2014 Aug 15;307(4):G420-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00290.2013

Paul Enck

Prof. Dr. Paul Enck, Director of Research, Dept. of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany. His main interests are gut functions in health and disease, including functional and inflammatory bowel disorders, the role of the gut microbiota, regulation of eating and food intake and its disorders, of nausea, vomiting and motion sickness, and the psychophysiology and neurobiology of the placebo response, with specific emphasis on age and gender contributions. He has published more than 170 original data paper in scientific, peer-reviewed journals, and more than 250 book chapters and review articles. He is board member/treasurer of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility and of the German Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, and has served as reviewer for many international journals and grant agencies.