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PubMed2026

Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. induces intestinal toxicity through the histamine-MLCK-tight junction axis: Integrated evidence from proteomics, metabolomics, intestinal organoids and epithelial barrier validation.

Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (PR) is a saponin-rich medicinal plant associated with gastrointestinal toxicity, but the mechanisms underlying PR-induced intestinal barrier injury remain unclear. In this study, raw PR extract was analytically characterized by UPLC-ZenoTOF-MS/MS, confirming triterpenoid saponins as the predominant constituents. C57BL/6 J mice were orally exposed to characterized PR extract (1.20 or 12.0 g/kg for 5 h), and Caco-2 cells and mouse intestinal organoids were used to assess epithelial toxicity and barrier disruption. Histopathology, ELISA, FITC-dextran permeability assays, immunofluorescence, CCK-8, LDH release, western blotting, DIA-based proteomics and untargeted metabolomics were integrated to define toxicological mechanisms. PR induced dose-dependent intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction, with the ileum as the most sensitive target. PR increased serum DAO and D-lactate and intestinal TNF-α and IL-1β, disrupted organoid morphology, enhanced epithelial permeability, and reduced ZO-1 expression. Proteomics revealed changes in inflammatory, lipid-metabolic, cytoskeletal and tight-junction pathways, including upregulation of MLCK3 and phospholipase-related proteins and downregulation of ZO-1 and ZO-2. Metabolomics identified histidine metabolism disturbance and histamine accumulation. Integrated multi-omics and pharmacological validation indicated that histamine activated the PLC/IP₃/Ca²⁺/CaM/MLCK cascade, promoting MLC phosphorylation, tight-junction disassembly and epithelial leakiness. MLCK inhibition partially restored ZO-1/ZO-2 expression and attenuated PR-induced epithelial injury. These findings identify the histamine-MLCK-tight junction axis as a key mechanism of PR-induced intestinal toxicity and support hazard identification of saponin-rich PR exposure.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Tight junctions in the choroid plexus epithelium. A freeze-fracture study including complementary replicas.

The tight junctions of the choroid plexus epithelium of rats were studied by freeze-fracture. In glutaraldehyde-fixed material, the junctions exhibited rows of aligned particles and short bars on P-faces, the E-faces showing grooves bearing relatively many particles. A particulate nature of the junctional strands could be established by using unfixed material. The mean values of junctional strands from the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles of Lewis rats were 7.5 +/- 2.6, 7.4 +/- 2.2, and 7.5 +/- 2.4; and of Sprague-Dawley rats 7.7 +/- 3.4, 7.4 +/- 2.3, and 7.3 +/- 1.6. Examination of complementary replicas (of fixed tissue) showed that discomtinuities are present in the junctional strands: 42.2 +/- 4.6% of the length of measured P-face ridges were discontinuities, and the total amount of complementary particles in E-face grooves constituted 17.8 +/- 4.4% of the total length of the grooves, thus approximately 25% of the junctional strands can be considered to be discontinuous. The average width of the discontinuities, when corrected for complementary particles in E-face grooves, was 7.7 +/- 4.5 nm. In control experiments with a "tighter" tight junction (small intestine), complementary replicas revealed that the junctional fibrils are rather continuous and that the very few particles in E-face grooves mostly filled out discontinuities in the P-face ridges. Approximately 5% of the strands were found to be discontinuous. These data support the notion that the presence of pores in the junctional strands of the choroid plexus epithelium may explain the high transepithelial conductance in a "leaky" epithelium having a high number of junctional strands. However, loss of junctional material during fracturing is also considered as an alternative explanation of the present results.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Tight junctions in a fluid-transporting epithelium of an insect.

Occluding junctions have been found between the lateral cell borders at the base of the rectum of Periplaneta americana. They appear as punctate membrane appositions in thin sections, and after incubation in physiological solutions containing lanthanum before fixation the inward penetration of tracer is impeded in this same basal area. Moreover, freeze-fracture studies of this region reveal simple linear ridges on fracture face P and grooves on fracture face E, which are similar to the less complex vertebrate tight junctions. The luminal clefts, which permit free inward diffusion of tracers, present no tight junctions, but do have septate junctions. These results support the contention that, contrary to earlier speculation, arthropods do possess tight junctions; these, rather than septate junctions, appear to form the morphological basis of at least some of the permeability barriers observed in invertebrates.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

The formation of gap and tight junctions between retinal pigment cells in cell cultures.

The reformation of the junctional complex of retinal pigment cells was studied after trypsin disaggregation and in vitro reaggregation. Control specimens show a zonula occludens (tight junction) with integrated gap junctions and very large macular gap junctions. Isolation after trypsination results in disaggregation of the large gap junctions and fragmentation of the tight junctions with disaggregation of their integrated gap junctions. After two to four days of incubation the restoration of the zonula occludens is complete. After approximately five days of incubation, large gap junctions are found with a patchy arrangement of particles similar to that seen in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

"Tight" junctions in the sheath of normal and regenerating motor nerves of the crayfish, Orconectes virilis.

"Tight" or occluding intercellular junctions occur between adjacent glial processes in normal and regenerating crayfish motor nerve sheaths. Although infrequent, these junctions possess the ridge and groove configuration characteristics of freeze-cleaved occluding junctions. When present, nerve sheath tight junctions consist of a single, or at most a few, parallel intramembrane ridges situated on the EF membrane face of the glial plasma membrane. Consequently, such contacts are rarely recognized in thin sections of plastic-embedded nerve sheaths. Crayfish nerve sheath tight junctions are of the fascia occludens type and, therefore, do not impede solute flow across the nerve sheath. Fasciae occludentes of regenerating nerve sheaths occur in close proximity to discoid plaque-like aggregates of particles assumed to represent maculae adhaerentes. This relationship, which was not observed in normal nerve sheaths, suggests a functional association between the two types of junctions, perhaps developmental transformation of one junction type into the other. Although ridges and grooves of tight junctions occur next to cross-fractured trans-glial channels, no functional significance is proposed for this relationship. This study is the first report of tight intercellular junctions in crustacean glial nerve sheaths.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Double replica technique applied to choroid plexus from early foetal sheep: completeness and complexity of tight junctions.

Choroid plexuses from early and late sheep foetuses were examined by an improved freeze-fracture technique and the use of double-replicas to define the structure of the tight junction network of the epithelial cells. 'Complex' strands which consist of two normal parallel strands separated by a single row of pits or particles are defined and demonstrated in complementary faces. Since this strand variety was encountered in the same proportion in the different development stages investigated, it could not be correlated with changes in permeability. It is more likely that the 'complex' strands are associated with the transfer of gap junction particles within the membrane. The question of the significance of discontinuities in P face ridges was also resolved by the double replica technique: the few discontinuities which were observed could be accounted for by particles in the complementary E faces. Furthermore, approximately the same number of such junction displacements was found in early and late stages which makes it unlikely that this phenomenon could contribute to changes in permeability. Thus it has not been possible so far to relate any structural feature of the tight junction network in developing choroid plexus epithelial cells with the reported changes in permeability of the blood-C.S.F. barrier.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Freeze-fracture observations on the visceral yolk sac placenta of rats, mice and hamsters. With special reference to endodermal cell tight junctions.

Freeze-fracture replicas of visceral yolk sac from rats, mice and hamsters in late stages of gestation were studied by electron microscopy. Special attention was directed toward determining the types of junctional specializations that exist between the columnar endoderm cells of this placental membrane. In all three species, well-developed, zonular tight (occluding) junctions were found on the contiguous lateral surfaces of the endoderm cells. The tight junctional network, located in an immediate subluminal position, was from 0.2--0.5 micrometers in depth and consisted at any point of 2--5, interconnecting, approximately 9 eta wide, strands (P-face) or shallow furrows (E-face). Patch-like aggregations of irregular intramembrane particles, characteristic of desmosomes (maculae adherentes), also were observed at scattered sites below the tight junctions. However, no evidence of gap (communicating) junctions was encountered. The endoderm cells of the rodent visceral yolk sac have been shown to play a central role in the selective transport of macromolecular substances from the maternal to the fetal system. Tight junctions may be vital to this endodermal cell function by preventing random paracellular fluxes of macromolecules.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Establishment of tight junctions between epithelial cells.

Epithelia serve as barriers to the diffusion of solutes between body compartments, and must do so despite the frequent loss of cells. When single cells are experimentally removed from the Necturus gallbladder epithelium, contiguous cells migrate to fill the defect within 30 min. Electrophysiological measurements show that the local electrical resistance across the epithelium in the region of a wound returns to normal in the same period of time; electron microscopy demonstrates that tight junctions are formed concurrently. Physiologically functional and morphologically recognizable tight junctions can thus be established within 30 min, demonstrating a mechanism for the rapid restoration of epithelial integrity after cell loss.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Development of tight junctions in rat tracheal epithelium during the early hours after mechanical injury.

Mild abrasion of rat tracheal epithelium results in the death of superficial cells and flattening of basal cells to cover the exposed areas of basal lamina. Six hours after injury, colloidal tracers were shown in previous studies to be excluded from the spaces between cells and from the underlying lamina propria. The structural basis for this restoration of barrier function was investigated in the present experiments using transmission electron microscopy of thin sections and freeze fracture replicas. For each of 4 elapsed times after injury, 12 healing lesions in the epithelium were studied extensively. In specimens obtaine 2 and 4 hours after wounding, apical junctions between epithelium cells could not be identified in either thin sections or freeze fracture replicas. Six hours after injury, point contact could be recognized between epithelial cells in thin sections, whereas freeze fracture replicas revealed rudimentary tight junctions consisting of fragmented strands and linearly organized particles. Twelve hours after injury, highly developed tight junctions similar in complexity to those in normal uninjured tracheal epithelium were observed between the relatively undifferentiated basal cells comprising the regenerating epithelium. The focal membrane modification that appears 6 hours after injury is thus an early step in the process of regeneration and restoration of cytologic specialization.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Reformation of gap and tight junctions in regenerating liver after cholestasis.

Morphometric analysis of the alterations in interhepatocyte junctions induced by bile duct ligation revealed that after 48 h, during which time the serum bilirubin increased 6 to 8 fold, the membrane area occupied by gap junctions on the apico-lateral and medio-lateral sides decreased from 3.6% in controls to 0.02% in the ligated group. The strands of the zonulae occludentes were reduced in number and showed increased discontinuities. Within 45 min of recanalization of the common bile duct, clusters of particles appeared within and adjacent to the tight junctional areas or in the lateral hepatocyte membrane. Subsequently, the particle aggregations localized in the apico-lateral membrane areas increased in number and size becoming finally indistinguishable from those of controls within 96 h after the onset of recanalization. The zonulae occludentes also rearranged and reestablished their original structure during this period. The serum bilirubin fell to normal within 24 h of recanalization. It is concluded that metabolic and ultrastructural restitution associated with the recanalization of the ligated bile duct have no strict temporal correlation to one another. These studies provide further evidence that alterations in gap and tight junctions induced by pathological processes, e.g. during bile duct ligation, are completely reversible when regeneration occurs.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

In vivo induction of tight junction proliferation in rat liver.

The chronic administration of phalloidin induces an extensive development of tight junctions between rat hepatocytes. The junctional strands lose their predominantly parallel orientation with respect to the canalicular lumen and extend abluminally in irregular patterns which cover large membrane areas at considerable distance from the bile canaliculi. These changes indicate both proliferation and provide further evidence that these junctions are not permanent differentiations of the cell membrane.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

On the cross-reactivity of amiloride and 2,4,6 triaminopyrimidine (TAP) for the cellular entry and tight junctional cation permeation pathways in epithelia.

2,4,6 Triaminopyrimidine (TAP) has been previously shown to inhibit the passive tight junctional cation permeation pathway in various "leaky" epithelia. Amiloride has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of the cation cellular entry pathway in "tight" epithelia. In this paper we demonstrate that TAP and amiloride at appropriate concentrations are able to block either of these epithelial cation permeation pathways. TAP was found to block the Na entry pathway in frog skin with the following characteristics: it (1) inhibits from the external solution only, (2) is completely reversible, (3) increases the transepithelial resistance, (4) is active in the monoprotonated form, (5) is noncompetitive with Na, (6) displays saturation kinetics which obey a simple kinetic model (KI = 1 X 10(-3) M), (7) is independent of external calcium, (8) is dependent on external buffering capacity, and (9) is competitive with amiloride. Amiloride inhibition of the junctional permeation in gallbladder had the following characteristics: it (1) increases the transepithelial resistance, (2) decreases cation conductance without affecting the anion conductance, (3) displays saturation kinetics which obey a simple kinetic model (KI = 1 X 10(-3) M), and (4) possesses inhibitory activity in both its protonated and unprotonated form. These results not only indicate that a similar inhibitory site may exist in both of these cation permeation pathways, but also provide information on the chemical nature and possible location of these inhibitory sites.

Amiloride↗

PubMed1978

Fine structure of tight junctions between rat choroidal cells after osmotic opening induced by urea and sucrose.

After ventriculo-cisternal perfusion of hypertonic urea or sucrose, both the choroid plexus permeability to horseradish peroxidase and the structure of tight junctions between choroidal cells are modified. Intercellular spaces are swollen, continuous ridges are fragmented and intrajunctional spaces are invested by many membranous particles. These morphological alterations appear to be reversible. These ultrastructural data are related to an osmotic maladjustment induced by the introduction of hypertonic solutions into the cerebro-spinal fluid.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Tight junctions in choroid plexus papillomas.

Four cases of choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) obtained at the time of surgical excision were examined by electron microscopy and compared with normal choroid plexus (CP) of mouse and chick. In apical tight junctions fusion of the two outer leaflets of the adjacent cytoplasmic membrane was verified as in CP. This fact suggests that there is a blood-CSF barrier not only in CP but also in CPP.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Absence of tight junctions in endothelium of marrow sinuses: possible significance for marrow cell egress.

The nature of contact between endothelial cells in rat marrow sinuses was studied. Colloidal lanthanum permeated freely into the interendothelial space. Moreover, using freeze-fracture technique, we failed to show junctional structures where these endothelial cells came into contact. With thin sectioning electron microscopy, we observed occasional submembranous densities but the interendothelial distance measured 20 nm and no membrane fusion was seen. Absence of tight junctions between endothelial cells of marrow sinuses may serve a function in marrow cell egress by permitting these cells to slide over each other, thereby changing the luminal size. Within the fixed volume of marrow, an increase in luminal size results in displacement of haemopoietic cells into the lumen.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Opening of tight junctions in cerebral endothelium. I. Effect of hyperosmolar mannitol infused through the internal carotid artery.

Infusion of 1.8 M mannitol solution into the internal carotid artery of Wistar rats allows horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to cross cerebral vascular endothelium via intercellular pathways. This was made evident by density gradients of HRP observed in consecutive tight junctional compartments following in vivo administration, and by the passage of colloidal lanthanum through junctional membrane appositions of glutaraldehyde fixed cerebral endothelium. Three hours after mannitol infusion, small non-capillary vascular segments were still focally permeable to HRP. Twenty-four hours after the osmotic insult, the tracer was absent in the affected hemisphere. Water and electrolyte assays indicated absence of brain edema during the period of observation of blood-brain barrier opening.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Congenital chloridorrhoea. A question of reversed brush border transport processes and varying junctional tightness.

The surprising results of intestinal perfusion studies in an 8-month-old child with congenital chloridorrhoea offered a unique opportunity not only to elucidate the underlying defect, but also to test the adequacy of proposed models for normal intestinal transport. In ileum Na, K and Cl as well as water were secreted and HCO3 absorbed. Lumen was 91 mV negative to blood. Only Cl was transported against both electrical and chemical gradients, but discrepancies between observed and predicted Na flux ratios suggested the presence of a Na-absorbing mechanism as well. Mucosa was impermeable to Cl from the lumen side. 2.5 mM glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDC) mediated Na and water absorption and abolished any transport of Cl. PD was -95 mV. In colon a similar pattern was observed and mucosa to serosa fluxes of Cl were abnormally low. Rectal PD was -116 mV. GCDC made the epithelium more absorptive in function, but contrary to ileum the effect was due to an increase of Na and Cl fluxes from mucosa to serosa. The patient was at that time in severe electrolyte imbalance. He was reinvestigated three months later when he was in a good clinical condition with normal serum electrolytes. Net transfer of electrolytes and water and bidirectional fluxes of Cl and K were unchanged while bidirectional Na fluxes had increased considerably and PD decreased to -18 mV. Rectal PD was -45 mV. In jejunum water and electrolyte transport were normal and PD -3 mV. It is tentatively concluded that the abnormal transport in ileum is due to an inversion of the brush border transport processes, which also satisfies the paradoxical effects of GCDC. Furthermore, Na and Cl seem to migrate through separate pathways. A varying degree of junctional tightness, which is almost completely cationic, may be responsible for the functional differences observed in resonse to improvement of the general electrolyte status.

Biological Transport, Active↗

PubMed1979

Opening of tight junctions in cerebral endothelium. II. Effect of pressure-pulse induced acute arterial hypertension.

Acute arterial hypertension was produced in male Wistar rats by pressure pulse through the right internal carotid artery. The pressure pulse was induced by infusion of physiological saline as a bolus, at a rate of 0.63 ml per second by syringe pump. Evans blue (Eb) was used to visualize the areas of blood-brain barrier opening. Intravenously injected horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to study the ultrastructural basis of permeability changes in cerebral endothelium. Eb outlined circumscribed areas of blood-brain barrier opening. HRP extravasation was found mainly around small arteries. The capillary network was affected to a much lesser extent. Electron microscopy showed that HRP crossed the endothelial cell layer by intercellular routes. Glutaraldehyde fixed brain samples permeated with colloidal lanthanum supported these observations.

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