Affiliations: Department of Biomolecular Science, Graduate School of
Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 1-1 Tsutsumidori-amamiyamachi, Aoba-ku,
Sendai 981-8555, Japan. Tel./Fax: +81 22 717 8807; E-mail:
muramoto@biochem.tohoku.ac.jp
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: We investigated the effect of several lectins, such as soy bean
lectin (SBA), concanavalin A (Con A), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), on the
transport of some food ingredients (isoflavones, quercetin glycosides,
carnosine/anserine) across Caco-2 cell monolayers. After incubation of food
ingredients (0.03∼2 mmol/L) in the presence or absence of lectins
(1∼180 μg/ml) on the apical side, aliquots were taken from the apical
and basolateral solution, and were subjected to HPLC analysis. We also examined
the effect of lectins on the permeability of the tight junction by measuring
the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) value of the Caco-2 cell
monolayer. Isoflavones, which was not transported to the basolateral solution
without lectins, could be transported in the presence of lectins, whereas their
aglycones were detected at the same levels with or without the lectin
treatment. The transport of quercetin glycosides also increased in the presence
of lectins, however, that of peptides was not affected by the lectins. Con A
and WGA, but SBA, decreased the TER value, indicating that Con A and WGA
increased the transport via paracellular pathway, whereas SBA did via a
different pathway.
Keywords: lectin, Caco-2 cells, flavonoids
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 21, no. 1-4, pp. 399-401, 2004
