Mucus protects gastric mucosa from the potentially hostile acid and peptic secretions, or irritants in ingested materials. Indeed, the anatomical and functional integrity of gastric mucosa depend on the balance between aggressive and defensive mechanisms. The present study characterized histochemically gastric mucins and investigated histomorphometrically their distribution in the rat stomach. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (180-200 g bw) were used. Each stomach was opened along the greater curvature, pinned upon a cork plate, fixed in formalin and cut in 2-mm parallel strips which were sequentially superimposed on a glass slide, covered with melted 3% agar and processed for histology. Six m-thick sections were then cut and stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), or Alcian blue solutions at pH 2.5 or pH 1.0 for the histochemical detection of neutral mucins, sialomucins or sulphated mucins, respectively.Three representative areas were observed: greater and lesser curvature; mucosa lying between the two curvatures. PAS positivity was revealed in cells of the superficial epithelium as well as gastric pits, but appeared very weak in the vicinity of the lesser curvature. Alcian blue staining both at pH 1.0 and pH 2.5 mainly marked gastric pit cells, with the exception of the mucosa of the lesser curvature where Alcian blue stained an amorphous material into the lumen of the fundus of gastric glands.The present results demonstrate that in the rat gastric mucosa mucus barrier shows different composition and distribution and might explain the lesion pattern during mucosal injury.

Histochemical characterization and histomorphometric distribution of mucins in the rat gastric mucosa

NATALE, GIANFRANCO;LAZZERI, GLORIA;FERRUCCI, MICHELA;FORNAI, MATTEO;BLANDIZZI, CORRADO;
2005-01-01

Abstract

Mucus protects gastric mucosa from the potentially hostile acid and peptic secretions, or irritants in ingested materials. Indeed, the anatomical and functional integrity of gastric mucosa depend on the balance between aggressive and defensive mechanisms. The present study characterized histochemically gastric mucins and investigated histomorphometrically their distribution in the rat stomach. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (180-200 g bw) were used. Each stomach was opened along the greater curvature, pinned upon a cork plate, fixed in formalin and cut in 2-mm parallel strips which were sequentially superimposed on a glass slide, covered with melted 3% agar and processed for histology. Six m-thick sections were then cut and stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), or Alcian blue solutions at pH 2.5 or pH 1.0 for the histochemical detection of neutral mucins, sialomucins or sulphated mucins, respectively.Three representative areas were observed: greater and lesser curvature; mucosa lying between the two curvatures. PAS positivity was revealed in cells of the superficial epithelium as well as gastric pits, but appeared very weak in the vicinity of the lesser curvature. Alcian blue staining both at pH 1.0 and pH 2.5 mainly marked gastric pit cells, with the exception of the mucosa of the lesser curvature where Alcian blue stained an amorphous material into the lumen of the fundus of gastric glands.The present results demonstrate that in the rat gastric mucosa mucus barrier shows different composition and distribution and might explain the lesion pattern during mucosal injury.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/96773
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