View article

Experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is characterized by circulating endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and impaired enterocyte migration. We hypothesized that LPS increases integrin function and cell-matrix adhesion, leading to impaired enterocyte migration in the pathogenesis of NEC.

NEC-like intestinal injury was induced in newborn rats by hypoxia/gavage feedings, and restitution was determined by assessing bromodeoxyuridine-labeled enterocytes along the crypt-villus axis. Newborn mice were injected with 5 mg/kg LPS. IEC-6 cells were treated with LPS ± LY294002 or wortmannin, and β1- and α3-integrins were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunofluorescence. β1-integrin function was determined by adherence of fibronectin beads to IEC-6 monolayers. Migration of IEC-6 cells into a scraped wound was …