Research

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES IN VIVO AND IN VITRO

Animal models of integrated pathophysiology in rodents:

•  Chemotherapy-induced intestinal inflammation
•  Acute stress (restraint stress) or chronic (passive avoidance of water stress, neonatal stress)
•  Oral tolerance and antigenic sensitization
•  Measurement of physiological parameters in vivo (motility and intestinal transit, visceral sensitivity, intestinal paracellular permeability ...) and in vitro (para and trans cell permeability intestinal)
•  Methods of cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

The application of our research topic is the availability of generic concepts for the evaluation of:

•  food chemical safety risk;
•  health claims for functional nutrition;
•  pathophysiological mechanisms of digestive diseases and the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS (2011)

 Our main academic partners are:

•  The USC INRA / INSERM U1043, National Veterinary School of Toulouse,
•  I2MC the INSERM-Université Paul Sabatier,
•  The LISBP-INSA Toulouse,
•  the Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Paul Sabatier,
•  Gastroenterology services in hospitals of Toulouse, Nice and Szeged (Hungary)
•  The universities of Helsinki (Finland), La Sapienza, Rome (Italy), Chicago (United States) and Linköping (Sweden).

SOME CURRENT PROJECTS

We also conduct applied research projects in collaboration with several partners in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

•  The role of endoluminal proteases on the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome
•  Probiotics and physiology of the intestinal barrier
•  Importance of communication between the gut and liver in the exposure to xenobiotics
•  Effects of in utero exposure to bisphenol A on the intestinal barrier
•  Interaction between the disorders of the intestinal epithelial barrier and visceral pain: role of MLCK
•  Interaction between the gut and adipose tissue rampant during intestinal inflammation