A mixture model for the dynamic of the gut mucus layer

Abstract

We introduce a mixture model intended to describe the dynamics of the mucus layer that wraps the gut mucosa. This model takes into account the fluid mechanics of the gut content, the inhomogeneous rheology that depends on the fluid composition, and the main physiological mechanisms that ensure the homoeostasis of the mucus layer. Numerical simulations, based on a finite volume approach, prove the ability of the model to produce a stable steady-state mucus layer. We also perform a sensitivity analysis by using a meta-model based on polynomial chaos in order to identify the main parameters impacting the shape of the mucus layer. The effect of the interaction of the mucus with a population of bacteria is eventually discussed.