Lectin histochemistry of the rat brain following thioacetamide-induced hepatic failure.
Biotinyl derivatives of several lectins were used to study the localization of glycoconjugates in the cerebral microcapillaries and various brains of rats given at 24-h intervals two i.p. administrations of a hepatotoxin-thioacetamide (TAA) and examined 21 d posttreatment. At this time, the rats were asymptomatic with regard to hepatic encephalopathy but showed specific and selective changes in the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) transport of basic amino acid, but no BBB damage, and region-specific neuronal injury in the hippocampus and neocortex. The lectins tested recognized the following sugar residues: beta-D-galactosyl (Ricinus communis agglutinin [RCA-1]); N-acetyl-glucosaminyl and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (wheat-germ agglutinin [WGA]); N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyl (Helix pomatia agglutinin [HPA]); beta-D-galactosyl and D-galactosyl neuraminic acid (peanut agglutinin [PNA]), and alpha-D-galactosyl and alpha-D-mannosyl (concanavalin A [Con A]). The treatment markedly decreased the binding to the cerebromicrovascular network of the hippocampus and neocortex of RCA-1 and WGA. The binding of these two lectins to their complementary monosaccharide residues appears to reflect subtle changes in BBB function, with a detection threshold below the conventional BBB permeability tests. The changes in the binding of the other two lectins: an increase of HPA binding and a decrease of Con A binding, confined to neocortical neurons and pyramidal cells of hippocampus injured by TAA treatment.
Szumańska
G
G
Department of Neuropathology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Albrecht
J
J
D000818:Animals; D048588:Benzoxazines; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D037102:Lectins; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced; D010078:Oxazines; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013853:Thioacetamide / Q000633:toxicity*
D048588:Benzoxazines; D037102:Lectins; D010078:Oxazines; D013853:Thioacetamide; C028911:cresyl violet