Loss of Hepatocyte-Nuclear-Factor-4α Affects Colonic Ion Transport and Causes Chronic Inflammation Resembling Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Mice

摘要

BackgroundHnf4α, an epithelial specific transcriptional regulator, is decreased in inflammatory bowel disease and protects against chemically-induced colitis in mice. However, the precise role of this factor in maintaining normal inflammatory homeostasis of the intestine remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sole role of epithelial Hnf4α in the maintenance of gut inflammatory homeostasis in mice.