Abstract

MELO-JUNIOR, Mario Ribeiro et al. Histochemical avaliation of the gastrointestinal mucosa of rats exposed to alcohol. Rev. Para. Med. [online]. 2006, vol.20, n.4, pp.7-12. ISSN 0101-5907.

OBJECTIVES: in this work, lectin histochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of glycosaminoglycan (mucin) in gastrointestinal cells of rats exposed to ethanol. METHOD: Rats were exposed to ethanol (3g/kg of weight) during 15, 30 and 45 days. After perfusion, the stomach and intestine were formalin 10% fixed and the tissues were paraffin embedded. Slices (4mm) were incubated with peroxidase-conjugated lectins (PNA, WGA and Con A). Lectin staining was revealed with DAB-H2O2 followed by haematoxylin counterstaining. Periodic acid-Shiff (PAS) and Alcian Blue staining methods were used to evaluate glycosaminoglycan expression. RESULTS: indicated that, in gastric mucosae, acid and neutral mucin expression rose progressively during ethanol exposition while in intestinal mucosae no considerable difference was observed in the number of PAS- and Alcian Blue-positive staining cells. All lectins presented an increasing binding pattern related to the period of ethanol exposure. PNA was the most selective lectin, recognizing exclusively colon cells and gastric glands. Con A presented an intense binding to the bottom region of the colon stomach glands while WGA intensely bound to the caliceform and Paneth cells in the intestinal glands. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that ethanol exposure led to a different pattern of lectin recognition of the cells of the gastrointestinal tissue.

Keywords : Histochemistry; lectins; ethanol; glycosaminoglycans.

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