MUC2 and inflammatory bowel disease: However, to demonstrate that EIF has benefits in maintaining barrier permeability as a potential treatment strategy for IBD, further experiments will be needed using physiological markers to assess inflammatory cell expression (MPO, F4/80) and changes in the protein and mRNA expression of markers such as Zo-1, occludin, trefoil factor 3, mucin 2, Kruppel-like factor 4, matrix metallopeptidase, and collagen type III alpha 1 in colon tissue.