Effects of phalloidin on the epithelial regeneration in the mouse gastric mucosa

Effects of phalloidin on the early (5-60 min) processes of wound repair were examined in the ethanol-injured mouse gastric mucosa. Within 5 min after ethanol was washed out from the stomach, survived epithelial cells changed their shape and became flat extending both lamellipodia and filopodia. The denuded basal lamina was re-covered by these stretched cells within 30 min. When a low dose of phalloidin (5 micrograms) was applied to the wounded stomach, it took 60 min or more to cover the exposed basal lamina. Epithelial cells at the wound edge of the phalloidin-treated stomach often contained unusually thick layer of microfilaments in their subapical region. This observation suggests that phalloidin induces active microfilament assembly mainly in the apical region of epithelial cell processes.