Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Systematic Scoring Analysis for Intestinal Inflammation in a Murine Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Model
Published on: February 14, 2021
Is the sugar always sweet in intestinal inflammation?
Emiko Mizoguchi1, Atsushi Mizoguchi
1Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Abstract:
Immune responses are mediated mainly by protein/protein interactions. In addition, protein/carbohydrate (sugar) interactions through specific protein families termed lectin and chi-lectin are also involved in several immune and biological responses under not only the state of health but also inflammatory conditions. Interestingly, recent studies have identified unexpected roles of animal lectins (galectin-1 and galectin-4) and chi-lectin (chitinase 3-like-1) in intestinal inflammation. Galectin-1 contributes to the suppression of intestinal inflammation by the induction of effector T cell apoptosis. In contrast, galectin-4 is involved in the exacerbation of this inflammation by specifically stimulating intestinal CD4+ T cells to produce IL-6. CHI3L1 enhances the host/microbial interaction that leads to the exacerbation of intestinal inflammation. In this review, we discuss a novel aspect of lectin/carbohydrate interactions in intestinal inflammation.
More Related Videos
09:31Effects of Taste Signaling Protein Abolishment on Gut Inflammation in an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Mouse Model
Published on: November 9, 2018
07:29Real-time Analysis of Gut-brain Neural Communication: Cortex wide Calcium Dynamics in Response to Intestinal Glucose Stimulation
Published on: December 29, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by transmural...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
Carbohydrate Digestion
Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Ulcerative Colitis