The Effect of Bacterial Infections, Probiotics and Zonulin on Intestinal Barrier Integrity
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Department of Biochemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland
2
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Giuseppe Esposito
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(21), 11359; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111359
Received: 19 September 2021
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Revised: 15 October 2021
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Accepted: 19 October 2021
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Published: 21 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Gut Microbiota and Human Health)
The intestinal barrier plays an extremely important role in maintaining the immune homeostasis of the gut and the entire body. It is made up of an intricate system of cells, mucus and intestinal microbiota. A complex system of proteins allows the selective permeability of elements that are safe and necessary for the proper nutrition of the body. Disturbances in the tightness of this barrier result in the penetration of toxins and other harmful antigens into the system. Such events lead to various digestive tract dysfunctions, systemic infections, food intolerances and autoimmune diseases. Pathogenic and probiotic bacteria, and the compounds they secrete, undoubtedly affect the properties of the intestinal barrier. The discovery of zonulin, a protein with tight junction regulatory activity in the epithelia, sheds new light on the understanding of the role of the gut barrier in promoting health, as well as the formation of diseases. Coincidentally, there is an increasing number of reports on treatment methods that target gut microbiota, which suggests that the prevention of gut-barrier defects may be a viable approach for improving the condition of COVID-19 patients. Various bacteria–intestinal barrier interactions are the subject of this review, aiming to show the current state of knowledge on this topic and its potential therapeutic applications.
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Keywords:
intestine barrier; gut microbiota; zonulin; probiotics; bacteria; infection
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MDPI and ACS Style
Serek, P.; Oleksy-Wawrzyniak, M. The Effect of Bacterial Infections, Probiotics and Zonulin on Intestinal Barrier Integrity. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 11359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111359
AMA Style
Serek P, Oleksy-Wawrzyniak M. The Effect of Bacterial Infections, Probiotics and Zonulin on Intestinal Barrier Integrity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(21):11359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111359
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerek, Paweł, and Monika Oleksy-Wawrzyniak. 2021. "The Effect of Bacterial Infections, Probiotics and Zonulin on Intestinal Barrier Integrity" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 21: 11359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111359
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