Epithelial Barrier Integrity
Epithelial Barrier Integrity - Related Videos
08:58
Analyzing Beneficial Effects of Nutritional Supplements on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Functions During Experimental Colitis
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Cited by 18 •
2017
Current treatments of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) aim at alleviating disease symptoms but may cause severe side effects. Thus, alternative strategies are being investigated in animal colitis models. Here, we explain how the beneficial effects of diet supplements on clinical IBD signs are analyzed in such a colitis model.
09:58
A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side
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Cited by 45 •
2016
The epithelial cells of the choroid plexus (CP) form the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). An in vitro model of the BCSFB employs human choroid plexus papilloma (HIBCPP) cells. This article describes culturing and basolateral infection of HIBCPP cells using a cell culture filter insert system.
07:18
Oral Gavage in Neonatal Mouse Pups and Functional Assessment of Gut Barrier Integrity Using Ussing Chambers
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2026
This article describes: (1) oral gavage delivery of test molecules to neonatal mice as early as DOL 6; and (2) ex vivo evaluation of colonic epithelial barrier function in biopsies from DOL 10 to weaning (DOL 20) pups by assessing paracellular and transcellular permeability with Ussing chambers.
06:27
iPSC-Derived Epithelial, Mesenchymal, Endothelial, and Immune Cell Co-Culture to Model Airway Barrier Integrity in Lung Health and Disease
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2024
This article describes the generation of a complex, multi-cellular airway barrier model composed of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived lung epithelium, mesenchyme, endothelial cells, and macrophages in an air-liquid interface culture.
03:01
Assessing Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in a Laser-Induced Brain Injury Rat Model
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2025
Source: Kuts, R. et al. Laser-Induced Brain Injury in the Motor Cortex of Rats. J. Vis. Exp. (2020)This video demonstrates assessing blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity following laser-induced brain injury in rats. A tracking dye is injected into the tail vein, allowing it to circulate to the brain and leak into the tissue through the damaged BBB. The brain is then extracted and processed to release the dye. The fluorescence intensity of the dye is measured to quantify the extent of...
FAQs
Tight junction proteins seal the spaces between neighboring epithelial cells while regulating the passage of ions, solutes, and macromolecules. Their activity therefore supports selective movement rather than an unrestricted seal. Measuring changes in junctional organization can reveal whether environmental stress, pathogens, inflammatory cues, or chemical exposure alters the layer’s ability to control transport between tissue compartments.
Cell polarity organizes epithelial cells according to their position within the layer, while adhesion keeps neighboring cells connected. Together, these features support the correct organization and function of junctional structures. Biochemical analysis can examine changes in polarity, adhesion, and junctional organization to determine how epithelial layers respond when tissue separation or selective permeability is challenged.
These challenges can produce measurable changes in permeability, junctional organization, or signaling within the epithelial layer. The resulting response may affect how ions, solutes, and macromolecules move between separated tissue compartments. Comparing these biochemical changes under different exposures helps identify how environmental or disease-related conditions influence barrier behavior and tissue homeostasis.
Studies commonly assess three related outcomes: permeability, junctional organization, and signaling. Permeability measurements indicate whether transport across the epithelial layer has changed, while junctional analysis examines the arrangement of sealing structures between cells. Signaling measurements add molecular context, helping connect an observed transport defect or structural change with the response to a specific challenge.
It is examined when researchers investigate how epithelial tissues respond to pathogens, inflammatory cues, or chemical exposure in intestinal and airway settings. These studies can characterize changes in transport, junctional structure, and signaling that relate to disease processes. The findings support efforts to understand tissue dysfunction and evaluate approaches intended to restore normal barrier performance.
Barrier studies show how an epithelial layer controls the movement of solutes and macromolecules, making them relevant to drug transport research. The same measurements can reveal whether chemical exposure changes permeability, junctional organization, or signaling, which is important in toxicology. These outcomes also provide a biochemical basis for investigating therapies designed to restore tissue function.