ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.

Sec. Nutrition and Food Science Technology

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1577369

This article is part of the Research TopicIn Vitro Digestion in the Study of FoodView all articles

Using Sodium Glycodeoxycholate to Develop a Temporary Infant-Like Gut Barrier Model, In Vitro

Provisionally accepted
Francesca BiettoFrancesca Bietto1,2Elena ArranzElena Arranz3,4Beatriz MirallesBeatriz Miralles4Cristina Gómez-MarínCristina Gómez-Marín4Eva RathEva Rath5Alice J LuceyAlice J Lucey2Linda GiblinLinda Giblin1*
  • 1Moorepark Food Research Centre, Teagasc Food Research Centre (Ireland), Fermoy, Ireland
  • 2School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
  • 3Sección Departamental de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM),·Madrid, Spain, Madrid, Spain
  • 4Institute of Food Science Research, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • 5Chair of Nutrition and Immunology, School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

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In newborns, the intestinal barrier is permeable but not inflamed. This study aimed to develop an in vitro model of the infant gut barrier treating Caco-2/HT29-MTX with 0.5, 0.8, and 1 mM sodium glycodeoxycholate (GDC). Our research demonstrates that GDC decreases Caco-2/HT29-MTX Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) and increases paracellular permeability, without inflammation or cytotoxicity. Notably, the treatment with 0.8 mM GDC increased lactulose transport rate by 1.63-fold. The treatment also reduced the key tight junction protein, occludin, at the cell membrane, and increased acidic mucins and extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity. Additionally, GDC decreased cAMP, suggesting its mechanism of action was via activation of a G-protein coupled receptor. Of particular importance to nutrition studies, the GDC effect was reversible with TEER recovery within 4 h. Applying digested infant formula to 0.8 mM GDC-treated Caco-2/HT29-MTX monolayers resulted in a higher concentration of amino acids in the basolateral compartment compared to control monolayers.

Keywords: In Vitro Infant Gut Barrier, Sodium glycodeoxycholate, Caco-2/HT29-MTX, Tight Junctions, intestinal permeability, Teer, Infant Milk Formula Digesta

Received: 15 Feb 2025; Accepted: 07 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Bietto, Arranz, Miralles, Gómez-Marín, Rath, Lucey and Giblin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Linda Giblin, Moorepark Food Research Centre, Teagasc Food Research Centre (Ireland), Fermoy, P61 C996, Ireland

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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