Intestinal epithelium repair

Mucins are also thought to act in cooperation with trefoil proteins in the protection and repair of the epithelium (Kindon et al., 1995). Trefoil factors are expressed along the GI tract and increased levels are noted near sites of inflammation and ulcerative lesions (Babyatsky et al., 1996). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that mouse intestinal trefoil factor may play a role in the alteration of the physicochemical nature of GC mucins during N. brasiliensis infection (Tomita et al., 1995). Perhaps in GI nematode parasite infection mucins are not aiding in the host s protective expulsion of the parasite, but rather are functioning in the repair of the damaged intestinal epithelium. 

Nusrat, A., Parkos, C.A., Bacarra, A.E., Godowski, P.J., Delp-Archer, C. et al., Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor effects on epithelia. Regulation of intercellular junctions in transformed and nontransformed cell lines, basolateral polarization of c-met receptor in transformed and natural intestinal epitheha, and induction of rapid wound repair in a transformed model epithelium. /. Clin. Invest., 1994,93 2056-2065. 

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