Pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Possible role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel in mouse esophageal mucosal integrity

The purpose of the current project is to study the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channels, which are expressed on the esophageal keratinocytes, in the development and maturation of cell-cell junctions that seal the intercellular spaces and form a barrier against the damaging effect of refluxates and the consequent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For this purpose, the cell-cell junctions in mucosae obtained from wild type (WT) and TRPV4 knockout (KO) mice will be structurally and functionally studies and compared. To achieve this goal different experimental methods will be employed e.g. primary cell culture of esophageal keratinocytes, real-time PCR, immunostaining as well as measurement of trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and ATP release.