title: Lectin cytochemistry of the lacrimal sac epithelium in experimental dacryocystitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the glycoconjugates in the lacrimal sac epithelium of Japanese white rabbits with experimentally induced chronic dacryocystitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic dacryocystitis was induced by a subcutaneous injection of albumin followed by an injection of Staphylococcus aureus into the lacrimal sac. The histological appearance of the lacrimal sac was studied using the alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff sequence. In addition, the specific binding to the lacrimal sac epithelium of Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1, Ricinus communis agglutinin 1, peanut agglutinin, and soybean agglutinin was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Staining with alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff sequence showed hyperplasia of the goblet cells in the inflamed lacrimal sac epithelium. Lectin cytochemistry revealed specific binding of Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1, Ricinus communis agglutinin 1, peanut agglutinin, and soybean agglutinin to the lacrimal sac epithelium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that the composition of glycoconjugates in the lacrimal sac epithelium is markedly changed in dacryocystitis. There seems to be a fundamental abnormality in glycoconjugate synthesis in the chronically inflamed lacrimal sac epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Akita University School of Medicine, Hondo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakuragi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003607:Dacryocystitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000378:metabolism*; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D037102:Lectins