Iniya Meenakshi Ganesh, Duraibabu Subramani, Devaraj Halagowder
Unit of Biochemistry, Department of Zoology, University of Madras, Life Sciences Building, Guindy Campus, Chennai –600025, India
DOI: 10.1186/1477-3163-6-10
ABSTRACT
Background
Mucins are critical cytoprotective glycoproteins and alterations of epithelial gastric mucins have been described in different pathological conditions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the putative usefulness of mucins in understanding the progression of gastric cancer and gallstone formation in a better perspective.
Methods
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric biopsy specimens and surgically resected gallbladder tissue samples were sectioned. Alcian Blue (AB) staining was performed to identify sialomucins (staining blue at pH 2.5) and sulfomucins (staining brown at pH 1.0) and then Periodic acid-Schiff’s (PAS) staining to visualize the neutral mucins (staining magenta).
Results
In normal gastric and gallbladder mucosae, we found that neutral mucins were predominant, whereas in intestinal metaplasia, gastric carcinoma and stone-containing gallbladder, a significant increase of acidic mucins was found.
Conclusion
We suggest that the sulfomucins have a greater role in gallstone formation than the neutral mucins and also that the sialomucins and sulfomucins play an important role in cancer progression and metastasis. Our results challenge the glycobiologists to delve deeper in elucidating the role of mucins in gastric malignancy and in gallstone formation.