page_title: Intestinal permeability
section_title: Physiology
hierarchical_section_title: Intestinal permeability / Physiology
caption_attribution_description: English: Scheme of selective permeability routes of epithelial cells (red arrows). The transcellular (through the cells) and paracellular routes (between the cells) control the passage of substances between the intestinal lumen and blood.
context_page_description: Intestinal permeability is a term describing the control of material passing from inside the gastrointestinal tract through the cells lining the gut wall, into the rest of the body. The intestine normally exhibits some permeability, which allows nutrients to pass through the gut, while also maintaining a barrier function to keep potentially harmful substances from leaving the intestine and migrating to the body more widely. In a healthy human intestine, small particles can migrate through tight junction claudin pore pathways, and particles up to 10–15 Å can transit through the paracellular space uptake route.
context_section_description: The barrier formed by the intestinal epithelium separates the external environment (the contents of the intestinal lumen) from the body and is the most extensive and important mucosal surface of body. The intestinal epithelium is composed of a single layer of cells and serves two crucial functions. First, it acts as a barrier, preventing the entry of harmful substances such as foreign antigens, toxins and microorganisms. Second, it acts as a selective filter which facilitates the uptake of dietary nutrients, electrolytes, water and various other beneficial substances from the intestinal lumen. Selective permeability is mediated via two major routes:
  Transepithelial or transcellular permeability. This consists of specific transport of solutes across the epithelial cells. It is predominantly regulated by the activities of specialised transporters that translocate specific electrolytes, amino acids, sugars, short chain fatty acids and other molecules into or out of the cell.
  Paracellular permeability. It depends on transport through the spaces that exist between epithelial cells. It is regulated by cellular junctions that are localized in the laminal membranes of the cells. This is the main route of passive flow of water and solutes across the intestinal epithelium. Regulation depends on the intercellular tight junctions which have the most influence on paracellular transport. Disruption of the tight junction barrier can be a trigger for the development of intestinal diseases.
caption: Scheme of selective permeability routes of epithelial cells (red arrows). The transcellular (through the cells) and paracellular (between the cells) routes control the passage of substances between the intestinal lumen and blood.
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