title: Jejunal ultrastructural changes induced by kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) lectins in rats.
abstract: Rats maintained for a period of 5 days on a diet containing purified lectins extracted from a Brazilian variety (called 'Jalo') of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) developed marked ultrastructural changes in the epithelium of the proximal jejunum, while both pair-fed and ad-libitum-fed controls did not. The jejunal absorptive cells of rats fed a diet containing lectins exhibited conspicuous abnormalities of the microvilli. They were shorter, slightly thicker, irregular and more sparse; some were bi- or tri-furcated, sharing a common base of implantation. A slightly disorganized terminal web was present below the brush border. The supranuclear cytoplasm of a great number of cells exhibited large cytolysosomes. Comparison with the results of pair-feeding suggests that purified bean lectins have a direct causative role in the pathogenesis of absorptive cell changes in the jejunal villi of rats. The possible pathogenic mechanism of these lesions is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008871:Microvilli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins