Abstract The colon mucus layers minimize the contact between the luminal flora and the epithelial cells, and defects in this barrier may lead to colonic inflammation. We now describe an ex vivo method for analysis of mucus properties in human colon and mouse small and large intestine. Intestinal explants were mounted in horizontal perfusion chambers. The mucus surface was visualized by adding charcoal particles on the apical side, and mucus thickness was measured using a micropipette. Mucus thickness, adhesion, and growth rate were recorded for 1 h. In mouse and human colon, the ability of the mucus to act as a barrier to beads the size of bacteria was also evaluated. Tissue viability was monitored by transepithelial potential difference. In mouse ileum, the mucus could be removed by gentle aspiration, whereas in colon ∼40 μm of the mucus remained attached to the epithelial surface. Both mouse and human colon had an inner mucus layer that was not penetrated by the fluorescent beads. Spontaneous mucus growth was observed in human (240 μm/h) and mouse (100 μm/h) colon but not in mouse ileum. In contrast, stimulation with carbachol induced a higher mucus secretion in ileum than colon (mouse ileum: Δ200 μm, mouse colon: Δ130 μm, human colon: Δ140 μm). In conclusion, while retaining key properties from the mucus system in vivo, this setup also allows for studies of the highly dynamic mucus system under well-controlled conditions. mucin carbachol colon ileum mucus growth Copyright © 2012 the American Physiological Society « Previous | Next Article » Table of Contents This Article Published online before print December 2011 , doi: 10.​1152/​ajpgi.​00405.​2011 AJP - GI February 2012 vol. 302 no. 4 G430-G438 » Abstract Free Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: ajpgi.00405.2011v1 302/4/G430 most recent Classifications Mucosal Biology Services Email this article to a friend Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Download to citation manager Citing Articles Load citing article information Citing articles via Web of Science Google Scholar Articles by Gustafsson, J. K. Articles by Sjövall, H. PubMed PubMed citation Articles by Gustafsson, J. K. Articles by Sjövall, H. Related Content Load related web page information Current Issue February 2012, 302 (4) Alert me to new issues of AJP - GI About the Journal Information for Authors Submit a Manuscript Ethical Policies AuthorChoice PubMed Central Policy Reprints and Permissions Advertising Press Copyright © 2012 the American Physiological Society Print ISSN: 0193-1857 Online ISSN: 1522-1547 var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-2924550-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview();

/lp/the-american-physiological-society/an-ex-vivo-method-for-studying-mucus-formation-properties-and-j4q3JK98fd