Epithelial EP4 plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis in colon.

ABSTRACT: Colonic epithelial cells comprise the mucosal barrier, and their dysfunction promotes microbial invasion from the gut lumen and induces the development of intestinal inflammation. The EP4 receptor is known to mediate the protective effect of prostaglandin (PG) E₂ in the gastrointestinal tract; however, the exact role of epithelial EP4 in intestinal pathophysiology remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of epithelial EP4 in maintaining colonic homeostasis by characterizing the intestinal epithelial cell-specific EP4 knockout (EP4 cKO) mice. Mice harboring the epithelial EP4 deletion showed significantly lower colonic crypt depth and lower numbers of secretory cell lineages, as well as impaired epithelial cells in the colon. Interestingly, EP4-defi

SUBMITTER: Matsumoto Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6811535 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature