Expression of the mdr (P-glycoprotein) gene in Chinese hamster digestive tracts.

P-glycoprotein has been shown to be responsible for multidrug resistance in mammalian cells. However, its physiological roles in normal cells are not known. The gene encoding this protein has been shown to express at a relatively high level in human digestive tracts. In the present study, in situ hybridizations were employed to determine the expression of this gene in gastrointestinal tissues. Epithelial cells in the villi of small intestine, colon, and stomach were rich in the P-glycoprotein gene transcript. Observations were consistent with the idea that the P-glycoprotein plays a role in detoxification by pumping potentially harmful compounds into the lumen of digestive tracts in animals.