Early colonic dysplasia: comparison of differential mucin staining and tritiated thymidine labeling

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Am. J. Surg.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9610(85)80022-2· OSTI ID:5742476

Chabot, J A; Colacchio, T A

Controversy has arisen regarding the interpretation and significance of histochemical changes in the mucin produced by the globlet cells in colonic mucosa. The shift from sulfomucin to sialomucin, which is readily identified utilizing high iron diamine-alcian blue staining techniques, has been alternately interpreted as a specific, early dysplastic and premalignant change or a nonspecific generalized response to trauma and inflammation, among others. An attempt to clarify this issue was made by comparing mucin changes identified by high iron diamine-alcian blue staining techniques with increases in DNA synthetic activity identified utilizing autoradiographic analysis of tritiated thymidine uptake. Male Holtzman rats were treated with 15 weekly subcutaneous injections of dimethylhydrazine (30 mg/kg per week) (10 rats) or placebo (10 rats). The colons were prepared and fixed, sequential sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin or high iron diamine-alcian blue, autoradiography was performed. Analyses of labeling index showed no difference in normal background crypts between the control and treatment groups nor in crypts adjacent to those displaying abnormal mucin staining. Crypts with abnormal mucin production (sialomucin dominant) had significantly higher labeling indexes when compared with those of control animals (p less than 0.005). These findings indicate that the shifts in mucin production identified with high iron diamine-alcian blue staining represent crypts with increased and abnormally distributed mitotic activity that is an early dysplastic response to the carcinogenic stimulus.

• Research Organization: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH
• OSTI ID: 5742476
• Journal Information: Am. J. Surg.; (United States), Vol. 149:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
HYDRAZINE
TOXICITY
LARGE INTESTINE
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
CARCINOGENS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DNA
MITOSIS
RATS
SAMPLE PREPARATION
STAINS
THYMIDINE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE
ANIMALS
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BODY
CELL DIVISION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INTESTINES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
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