teins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky

Out of the United Kingdom, comes a new article proposing that intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL's) are important in maintaining the integrity of the tight junctions of gut to prevent the leaky gut syndrome. IEl's are seen in increased numbers near the surface of the intestinal lining in a variety of abnormal intestinal conditions, most notably celiac disease. Being close to intestinal epithelial cells, IEL's are thought to perform several functions including tumor surveillance, restoration and repair of the lining, fighting infection, and according to new research, maintaining the tight junctions between intestinal lining cells. This latter function is crucial to maintaining the gut barrier and preventing the leaky gut syndrome.

Dalton and co-investigators from the United Kingdom recently published date showing that in mice ??+ intraepithelial lymphocytes help maintain the integrity of the epithelial cell barrier. Mice deficient in ??+ IEL’s had severely compromised barrier function and were highly susceptible to infection from Toxoplasma and Salmonella typhimurium.. Reconstitution of ??+IEL’s in deficient mice restored intestinal barrier and prevented infection.

In understanding the gut it is noteworthy that throughout the gastrointestinal tract there is only one layer of intestinal lining cells. The single layer of cells, known as epithelial cells, are the entry point for water and nutrients while at same time acting as a barrier to foreign proteins such as bacteria, viruses, food proteins or lectins, noxious chemicals or toxins in what we eat or drink. In contrast to the gut, the skin, another barrier of the body to external invaders, has epithelial cells, but it is multiple cells thick rather than a single layer.

In the gut, the long continuous single cell wall of epithelial cells joined tightly shoulder to shoulder, are the only barrier to entry from whatever is in the gut. If the barrier is damaged then what is in the gut may gain entry into the inside the body resulting in serious infection, inflammation and/or activation of the immune system adversely, resulting in various autoimmune diseases. Please see my drawing of the normal intestinal villous, photomicrographs of the normal intestine and intestine in celiac disease where there are increased IEL's seen by special staining techniques. These images and accompanying explanations can be found either on my website www.thefooddoc.com or in the image gallery under my expert author bio for ezinearticles.com. The images will greatly help you to visualize the concept of the intestine lining and IEL's.

Intestinal epithelial cells joined by tight junctions (TJ’s) through a sophisticated system of proteins, including occludin and a regulatory protein zonulin serve as a barrier to foreign proteins. When the gut barrier is breached various foreign invaders such as infectious agents, toxins, chemicals or perceived foreign proteins. Perceived foreign proteins may include intact food proteins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky

ators from the United Kingdom recently published date showing that in mice ??+ intraepithelial lymphocytes help maintain the integrity of the epithelial cell barrier. Mice deficient in ??+ IEL’s had severely compromised barrier function and were highly susceptible to infection from Toxoplasma and Salmonella typhimurium.. Reconstitution of ??+IEL’s in deficient mice restored intestinal barrier and prevented infection.

In understanding the gut it is noteworthy that throughout the gastrointestinal tract there is only one layer of intestinal lining cells. The single layer of cells, known as epithelial cells, are the entry point for water and nutrients while at same time acting as a barrier to foreign proteins such as bacteria, viruses, food proteins or lectins, noxious chemicals or toxins in what we eat or drink. In contrast to the gut, the skin, another barrier of the body to external invaders, has epithelial cells, but it is multiple cells thick rather than a single layer.

In the gut, the long continuous single cell wall of epithelial cells joined tightly shoulder to shoulder, are the only barrier to entry from whatever is in the gut. If the barrier is damaged then what is in the gut may gain entry into the inside the body resulting in serious infection, inflammation and/or activation of the immune system adversely, resulting in various autoimmune diseases. Please see my drawing of the normal intestinal villous, photomicrographs of the normal intestine and intestine in celiac disease where there are increased IEL's seen by special staining techniques. These images and accompanying explanations can be found either on my website www.thefooddoc.com or in the image gallery under my expert author bio for ezinearticles.com. The images will greatly help you to visualize the concept of the intestine lining and IEL's.

Intestinal epithelial cells joined by tight junctions (TJ’s) through a sophisticated system of proteins, including occludin and a regulatory protein zonulin serve as a barrier to foreign proteins. When the gut barrier is breached various foreign invaders such as infectious agents, toxins, chemicals or perceived foreign proteins. Perceived foreign proteins may include intact food proteins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky

ectins, noxious chemicals or toxins in what we eat or drink. In contrast to the gut, the skin, another barrier of the body to external invaders, has epithelial cells, but it is multiple cells thick rather than a single layer.

In the gut, the long continuous single cell wall of epithelial cells joined tightly shoulder to shoulder, are the only barrier to entry from whatever is in the gut. If the barrier is damaged then what is in the gut may gain entry into the inside the body resulting in serious infection, inflammation and/or activation of the immune system adversely, resulting in various autoimmune diseases. Please see my drawing of the normal intestinal villous, photomicrographs of the normal intestine and intestine in celiac disease where there are increased IEL's seen by special staining techniques. These images and accompanying explanations can be found either on my website www.thefooddoc.com or in the image gallery under my expert author bio for ezinearticles.com. The images will greatly help you to visualize the concept of the intestine lining and IEL's.

Intestinal epithelial cells joined by tight junctions (TJ’s) through a sophisticated system of proteins, including occludin and a regulatory protein zonulin serve as a barrier to foreign proteins. When the gut barrier is breached various foreign invaders such as infectious agents, toxins, chemicals or perceived foreign proteins. Perceived foreign proteins may include intact food proteins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky

re increased IEL's seen by special staining techniques. These images and accompanying explanations can be found either on my website www.thefooddoc.com or in the image gallery under my expert author bio for ezinearticles.com. The images will greatly help you to visualize the concept of the intestine lining and IEL's.

Intestinal epithelial cells joined by tight junctions (TJ’s) through a sophisticated system of proteins, including occludin and a regulatory protein zonulin serve as a barrier to foreign proteins. When the gut barrier is breached various foreign invaders such as infectious agents, toxins, chemicals or perceived foreign proteins. Perceived foreign proteins may include intact food proteins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky

teins or lectins that may gain entry into our bodies via loss of TJ's.

Various injuries to the single cell layer can result in gaps in the barrier by loosening up the tight junctions (TJ’s) between the intestinal lining cells. These injuries may include damage due to poor blood flow, medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or chemotherapy, infections, food allergy or intolerance, especially gluten intolerance or celiac disease, chemicals or additives in foods or drinks, alcohol, excesses of certain foods especially carbohydrates, and altered gut bacteria levels (dysbiosis) or yeast overgrowth. What results after the gut is injured and the tight junctions are damaged is various forms of the leaky gut syndrome.

How important is preventing the leaky gut syndrome? Dalton and co-workers make this statement in their discussion of their findings about the importance of IEL’s maintaining the TJ’s. “Diseases including cancer, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and allergic disorders are associated with disruption of TJ’s and alterations in the regulation of occludin”.

Earlier in their article they use the term “leaky” TJ complexes to describe how bacteria could infect mice deficient in the IEL’s necessary to maintain gut integrity. This article furthers our understanding on how the gut barrier is maintained and may be injured. The concept of the leaky gut as an entry way to the body for infection, toxins, and foreign food proteins resulting in infection, toxicity and/or autoimmune disease(s) continues to intrigue those of us who are interested and who have eyes to see. To continue to follow important research reviewed by the food doc, Dr. Scot Lewey, please subscribe to the food doc blog http://thefooddoc.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Reference:

Dalton, JE et.al., Intraepithelial ??+ lymphocytes maintain integrity of the intestinal epithelial tight junctions in response to infection. Gastroenterology 2006;131:818-829.

Copyright © 2006, The Food Doc, LLC. www.thefooddoc.com