LOCALIZATION OF ULEX EUROPAEUS AGGLUTININ-1 (UEA₁) BINDING SITES IN NORMAL AND 1, 2-DIMETHYLHYDARZINE (DMH) TREATED RAT BOWEL

Abstract

The distribution of Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA₁) binding sites was investigated in normal and 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) treated F344 rat bowel.
In normal rat small intestine, UEA₁ binding was distributed in the mucus of goblet cells, on the granules of Paneth cells and along the microvillous surface of epithelial cells of both crypt and villi. A faint staining was also detected along the latero-basal membrane.
The staining intensity of the lectin was rather greater in the ileum than in the jejunum. In the normal proximal colon, UEA₁ binding was observed in the mucus of columnar epithelial cells in the half lower crypt, whereas little or no staining was seen in normal distal colon.
In adenoma and cancer induced by DMH, UEA₁ was frequently and intensely positive along the apical surface of the tumors, and sometimes it also was bound to cytoplasmic site.
In the distal colon of DMH treated animals, UEA positivity of biopsies from normal appearing mucosa increased progressively with time, although UEA₁ was seldom observed at the begining of the experiment. At least one or two biopsies containing increased amount of UEA₁ binding sites were obtained from every animal before appearance of tumor. Thus the UEA₁ binding appeared to be a useful marker of the neoplasms and the high risk mucosa for cancer in DMH treated F344 rat distal colon.