Carbohydrate antigen type 2 chain N-acetyllactosamine (2NAcLc) as a histological marker of rat parietal cells

Abstract

Lectin-staining suggested parietal cell-specific sugar antigens I-3" We reported here the rat parietal cell-specific expression of 2NAcLc. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stomachs from five male Wistar rats (7weeks old) were fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin for immunostaining. Mouse monoclonal antibody K214 (anti-INAcLc) and anti-My285 (anti-2NAcLc) were kindly donated by Prof. Lloyd (The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) and Prof. Civin (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) respectively. Carbohydrate antigens were localized with an ABC method. RESULTS: Parietal cells expressed 2NAcLc in all cases(Fig. A). Parietal cells at the neck of the glands expressed 2NAcLc strongly and those among surface mucous cells weakly. Surface mucous cells and other cell types composing the oxyntic, cardiac and pyrolic glands did not express 2NAcLc. Only a small number of parietal cells at the base of the glands expressed INAcLc (Fig. B). DISCUSSION: Rat p a r i e t a l c e l l s express 2NAcLc, but do not or on ly r a r e l y i t s s t r u c t u r a l isomer iNAcLc. As no o t h e r c e l l s in r a t stomach exp re s s 2NAcLc, t h i s a n t i g e n may be u s e f u l as a h i s t o l o g i c a l marker of r a t p a r i e t a l c e l l s . As l e c t i n s and a n t i M y 2 8 s t a i n e d t h e a l m o s t same s t r u c t u r e s , s u g a r c h a i n s d e t e c t e d by l e c t i n s , a t l e a s t one o f them, may be 2NAcLc. I n t r a c e l l u l a r 2 N h c L c p o s i t i v e s t r u c t u r e s were r e c e n t l y shown to be s e c r e t a r y c a n a l i c u l i by i m m u n o e l e c t r o n m i c r o s c o p y ( S u z u k i K, Usumoto R, 0 k a d a Y, u n p u b l i s h e d o b s e r v a t i o n ) . The p r e s e n t r e s u l t and the p rev ious o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t l a c t o s e : H + c a r r i e r p a r t i c i p a t e s in p ro ton t r a n s p o r t in E. c o l t 6 sugges t p o s s i b l e i n v o l v e ment of sugar cha ins in ac id s e c r e t i o n . REFERENCESI)Kessimian N, et al: J Histochem Cytochem 1986,34:237. 2)Schulte BA: et al. j Histochem Cytochem 1983,31:19. 3)Fisher J: Histochemistry 1987,87:479. 4) Rettig WJ, et al: Cancer Re 1985,45:85. 5)Spitalnik SL, et al: Blood 1985,66:319. 6)Wright JK, e t a l : Ann NY Acad Sci 1985,456:326. INDEX WORDS: P a r i e t a l c e l l , Carbohydra te an t igen .