Correlation between the destruction of tight junction by patulin treatment and increase of phosphorylation of ZO-1 in Caco-2 human colon cancer cells.

Patulin is a mycotoxin and its contamination of food has been reported to cause gastrointestinal inflammation, ulcers, and bleeding. The toxicity of patulin is thought to be due to the destruction of tight junctions (TJs) in gastrointestinal tissues. However, the precise mechanism has not been clarified.