Not surprisingly, plasma endotoxin entering portal veins were increased during the development of liver cirrhosis (Fig. 3b), and this effect was via decreased expressions of occludin and claudin-1 in intestines (Fig. 4a, b, c and d),which indicated tight junction dysfunction playing important roles in endotoxemia development of liver cirrhosis. The gene discussed is CLDN1; the disease is cirrhosis of liver.