Acute psychological stress increases paracellular permeability and modulates immune activity in rectal mucosa of healthy volunteers.

Background: Psychological stress and increased permeability are implicated as contributing factors in the initiation and worsening of gastrointestinal diseases. A link between stress and intestinal permeability has been shown in animal models as well as in human small intestine, but stress effects on the human colorectal mucosal barrier has not been reported.

Objective: To investigate the potential effects of acute psychological stress on colorectal mucosal barrier function and to explore stress-induced molecular events in the rectal mucosa under healthy conditions.

The effects of probiotics on barrier function and mucosal pouch microbiota during maintenance treatment for severe pouchitis in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: A total of 10-15% of patients with an ileoanal pouch develop severe pouchitis necessitating long-term use of antibiotics or pouch excision. Probiotics reduce the risk of recurrence of pouchitis, but mechanisms behind these effects are not fully understood.

Aim: To examine mucosal barrier function in pouchitis, before and after probiotic supplementation and to assess composition of mucosal pouch microbiota.

Eosinophils express muscarinic receptors and corticotropin-releasing factor to disrupt the mucosal barrier in ulcerative colitis.

Background & Aims: Altered intestinal barrier function has been implicated in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) in genetic, functional, and epidemiological studies. Mast cells and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) regulate the mucosal barrier in human colon. Because eosinophils are often increased in colon tissues of patients with UC, we assessed interactions among mast cells, CRF, and eosinophils in the mucosal barrier of these patients.