Objective       To determine the effect of inhibiting O-glycan chains synthesis in intestinal differentiated epithelial cells on the bacteria invasion into the cells and MUC2 expression.       Methods       The intestinal differentiated cell line HT-29-Gal was treated with O-glycan chains synthesis inhibitor

benzyl-N-acetyl-α-D-galactosaminide (benzyl-α-GalNAc). The ex

pression of MUC2 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The HT-29-Gal cells treated with or without benzyl-α-GalNAc were co-cultured with enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC）and enterohemorrhage E.coli (EHEC O157∶H7）for 2 h

then the gentamicin (100 μg/mL) was added in the culture medium for 2 h to exclude extracellular and cellular surface-adherent bacteria after 3 times of washing with PBS. Finally

serial dilution cloning counting was used to observe the numbers of invaded bacteria into the HT-29-Gal cells treated with or without benzyl-α-GalNAc.       Results       Real-time PCR and Western blotting indicated that the mRNA and protein Levels of MUC2 were significantly lower in HT-29-Gal cells treated with the benzyl-α-GalNAc than the untreated HT-29-Gal cells（

P

0.05）.The numbers of EPEC and EHEC O157∶H7 invaded into the HT-29-Gal cells exposed to benzyl-α-GalNAc were significantly larger than those untreated (

P

0.05 ).       Conclusion       Inhibition of O-glycan chains synthesis in HT-29-Gal cells leads more bacteria to invade into the cells and lower expression of MUC2 at both mRNA and protein levels.