Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli produce various heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins. STb is a low molecular weight heat-resistant toxin responsible for diarrhea in farm animals, mainly young pigs. A previous study demonstrated that cells having internalized STb toxin induce epithelial barrier dysfunction through changes in tight junction (TJ) proteins. These modifications contribute proba...

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated in response to fluctuations in cellular energy status caused by oxidative stress. One of its targets is the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which is the predominant Cl- secretory channel in colonic tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the role of AMPK in the modulation of colonic chloride secretion under cond...

Culture supernatants prepared from reactogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae cause a decrease in the transcellular epithelial resistance of T84 intestinal cells. This decrease correlates with the presence of hemagglutinin/protease but not with the presence of other potential accessory toxins or proteases. These data suggest a possible role for hemagglutinin/protease in reactogenicity, although oth...

Background Host defence peptide (HDP) has multiple properties [1,2] potentiating it as a novel anticancer agent. However disadvantages include systemic toxicity [3]. To address this, a prodrug was developed and the aim was to assess toxicity differentials between this prodrug and its active peptide component on T84 colonic carcinoma cells. Prodrug bio activation mechanism was also assessed by u...

Previously, in our laboratory, we established a two-chamber system to study translocation of Enterococcus faecalis across monolayers of polarized human colon carcinoma-derived T84 cells. By using the same system in the present study, we now show that disruption of gelE of strain OG1RF, which also has a polar effect on the cotranscribed sprE, as well as disruption of its regulatory system (fsrA,...

In vivo studies show that raised aldosterone (Aldo) during low-Na adaptation regulates the growth of pericryptal myofibroblasts and reduces the permeability of the colonic epithelium. The aim of this study was to reproduce in vitro the in vivo condition of increased Aldo using human CCD-18Co myofibroblasts and T84 colonic epithelial cells to measure myofibroblast and epithelial proliferation an...

Fibrates are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) ligands in widespread clinical use to lower plasma triglyceride levels. We investigated the effect of fenofibrate and clofibrate on ion transport in mouse intestine and in human T84 colonic adenocarcinoma cells through the use of short-circuit current (I(sc)) and ion flux analysis. In mice, oral administration of fenofibr...