Air-liquid interface microenvironment and its effects on growth and differentiation of mucosal epithelial cells of alimentary tract : its possible roles as a luminal factor

气液界面（ALI）是消化道粘膜表面的微环境。我们的研究表明，ALI微环境促进胃粘膜上皮的存活、生长和分化。在本研究中，我们提出ALI是胃粘膜上皮的一个腔内因子。我们目前的项目已经证明ALI促进小肠和大肠粘膜上皮的存活、增殖和分化，而ALI不影响细胞凋亡。ali促进生长与MAP激酶级联激活密切相关。ali诱导的功能分化与水通道蛋白和penddrin分子表达的增加密切相关。这些结果提示ALI是影响消化道粘膜上皮细胞类型的重要腔内因子。

Air-liquid interface (ALI) is a microenvironment for mucosal surface of alimentary tracts. We have shown that ALI microenvironment promotes the survival, growth and differentiation of gastric mucosal epithelium. In this study, we propose that ALI is a luminal factor of gastric mucosal epithelium. Our present project has demonstrated that ALI promoted the survival, proliferation and differentiation of mucosal epithelium of small and large intestines, while ALI did not affect the apoptosis. The ALI-promoted growth was intimately associated with MAP kinase cascade activation. The ALI-induced functional differentiation was closely related to the increased expression of aquaporin and pendrin molecules. These results suggest that ALI is an important luminal factor for mucosal epithelial cell types of alimentary tracts.