title: Structural alterations of the intestinal epithelial barrier in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Functional and morphological alterations of the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) have been consistently reported in digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. There is mounting evidence that Parkinson's disease (PD) is not only a brain disease but also a digestive disorder. Gastrointestinal involvement is a frequent and early event in the course of PD, and it may be critically involved in the early development of the disease. We therefore undertook the present survey to investigate whether changes in the IEB function and/or morphology occur in PD. Colonic biopsies were performed in 31 PD patients and 11 age-matched healthy controls. The para- and transcellular permeability were evaluated by measuring sulfonic acid and horseradish peroxidase flux respectively, in colonic biopsies mounted in Ussing chambers. The expression and localization of the two tight junctions proteins ZO-1 and occludin were analyzed by Western blot and immunofluorescence, respectively. The para- and transcellular permeability were not different between PD patients and controls. The expression of occludin, but not ZO-1, was significantly lower in colonic samples from PD patients as compared to controls and the cellular distribution of both proteins was altered in colonic mucosal specimens from PD patients. Our findings provide evidence that the IEB is morphologically altered in PD and further reinforce the potential role of the gastrointestinal tract in the initiation and/or the progression of the disease.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clairembault
authors.forename: Laurène
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leclair-Visonneau
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coron
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bourreille
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Dily
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vavasseur
authors.forename: Marie-Françoise
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neunlist
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Derkinderen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D004724:Endoscopy; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062793:Occludin / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D057900:Transcytosis / Q000502:physiology; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C568985:OCLN protein, human; D062793:Occludin; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase