Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Methods to Study Epithelial Transport Protein Function and Expression in Native Intestine and Caco-2 Cells Grown in 3D
Published on: March 16, 2017
Calcium glycerophosphate preserves transepithelial integrity in the Caco-2 model of intestinal transport
Palika Datta1, Margaret T Weis1
1Palika Datta, Margaret T Weis, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, United States.
Aim:
To assess the direct effects of ischemia on intestinal epithelial integrity. Furthermore, clinical efforts at mitigating the effect of hypoperfusion on gut permeability have focused on restoring gut vascular function.
Methods:
We report that, in the Caco-2 cell model of transepithelial transport, calcium glycerophosphate (CGP), an inhibitor of intestinal alkaline phosphatase F3, has a significant effect to preserve transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and to attenuate increases in mannitol flux rates during hypoxia or cytokine stimulation.
Results:
The effect was observable even at concentrations as low as 1 μmol/L. As celiac disease is also marked by a loss of gut epithelial integrity, the effect of CGP to attenuate the effect of the α-gliadin peptide 31-55 was also examined. In this instance, CGP exerted little effect of preservation of TEER, but significantly attenuated peptide induced increase in mannitol flux.
Conclusion:
It appears that CGP treatment might synergize with other therapies to preserve gut epithelial integrity.
Related Concept Videos
Tight Junctions
Transcellular Transport of Solutes
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In vitro
The diffusion cell method uses a two-compartment cell, including a donor compartment with the drug solution, which simulates the environment where the drug is applied, and a receptor compartment with a buffer solution, which simulates the environment...
Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells
Reabsorption and Secretion in the PCT
Transport mechanisms involving sodium ions (Na+) contribute significantly to solute reabsorption. These mechanisms include symport and antiport processes.
A key example is the...

