Epithelial physiology and transport processes group

Epithelial Physiology and Transport Processes Group

This group studies the biology of epithelial cells with an emphasis on transport mechanisms in the intestinal epithelium. The constantly renewing intestinal epithelium represents an attractive system for the study of mechanisms related to cell proliferation, differentiation and maintenance of homeostasis. In principle, the forms of regulation of the intestinal epithelium represent two distinct types - (1) reversible regulation of specific and nonspecific types exerted under physiological and pathophysiological conditions and (2) irreversible regulation reflecting changes in functional requirements exerted during ontogenetic development. This regulation is provided by a variety of mechanisms that include humoral, neural, immune, and dietary signals. Experimental work has concentrated on the study of the absorptive and secretory mechanisms of the intestinal epithelium and their regulatory systems, particularly the enteric nervous and immune systems, in animal models and tissue cultures. The laboratory uses electrophysiological (voltage lock), biochemical (measurement of enzyme activities) and molecular biological (quantitative RT-PCR) methods.

head: prof. RNDr. Jiří Pácha, DrSc. (tel. 221951762)
laboratory: Viničná 7, 1. patro, č. dv. 136