Amaranthin lectin binding in the rat colon: response to dietary manipulation.
BACKGROUND
In human colon, binding of the lectin Amaranthus caudatus has been considered to be a marker of cellular proliferation and malignant progression. We studied regional amaranthin binding in rat colon and correlated this with physiologic manipulations of proliferation.


METHODS
Binding of amaranthin in segments of proximal and distal colon was studied in starved, refed, and control Wistar rats and was compared to tritiated thymidine labeling and proliferating cell nuclear-antigen expression.


RESULTS
Amaranthin bound mainly to cells in the lower crypt of distal colon and midcrypt of proximal colon, paralleling the distribution of proliferative markers. Binding occurred in the supranuclear region in distal colon and the pericellular membrane in proximal colon. Starvation/refeeding was associated with a change in amaranthin binding intensity in distal colon, but not in proximal colon.


CONCLUSIONS
The pattern of amaranthin binding during starvation/refeeding seems to reflect physiologic changes in several areas of the colon.
Atillasoy
E O
EO
Division of Gastroenterology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY 10025, USA.
Kapetanakis
A
A
Itzkowitz
S H
SH
Holt
P R
PR
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005502:Food; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D037121:Plant Lectins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; C061152:amaranthin protein, Amaranthus; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins