Background The nasal epithelium represents the first barrier against entry of airborne particles into the respiratory system and therefore protects against allergens, pollutants and pathogens. We have previously used the respiratory epithelial cell line 16HBE14oto define factors which can impair the barrier function of the respiratory mucosa. However, cultures of primary epithelial cells obtain...

Intestinal ischemic reperfusion (I/R) can cause dysfunction of the intestinal mucosal barrier; however, the mechanism of the intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction caused by I/R remains unclear. In this study, using intestinal epithelial cells under anaerobic cultivation and an in vivo rat intestinal I/R model, we found that hypoxia and I/R increased the expression of BMP2/4 and upregulated BMP...

Entry of tumor cells into the blood stream is a critical step in cancer metastasis. Although significant progress has been made in visualizing tumor cell motility in vivo, the underlying mechanism of cancer cell intravasation remains largely unknown. We developed a microfluidic-based assay to recreate the tumor-vascular interface in three-dimensions, allowing for high resolution, real-time imag...

We have measured electron and hole multiplication factors and impact ionization coefficients in 550 A GaAs/SOO A AbX3G%,,As quantum wells with an intermediate A&,.45Ga0.55As barrier (50 and 100 %L) inserted in the well region. It is seen that while the measured value of a(E) is insensitive to the position of the intermediate barrier in the well, the value of P(E) is very sensitive. The value of...

the aim of this study was to investigate the barrier properties of cellulose nanocrystals-pvananocomposites. nanocomposite films with different filler loading levels (3, 6, 9 and 12% by wt) weredeveloped by solvent casting method. the effect of cellulose nanocrystals on the barrier properties ofthe nanocomposites was studied. to this end, moisture absorption, water vapor permeability (wvp),oxyg...

Data are accumulating that emphasize the important role of the intestinal barrier and intestinal permeability for health and disease. However, these terms are poorly defined, their assessment is a matter of debate, and their clinical significance is not clearly established. In the present review, current knowledge on mucosal barrier and its role in disease prevention and therapy is summarized. ...