Gene expression of colonic epithelial cells in starved and re-fed mice

Oral food intake maintains gastrointestinal cell turnover and impacts the morphology and function of intestinal epithelial cells. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated, especially in the large intestine. Therefore, we analyzed the colonic epithelial cell turnover in starved and re-fed mice. EpCAM+CD45- colonic epithelial cells (ECs) in re-fed mice treated with or without antibiotics were isolated and sorted by FACS for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.