Efeito antinecrótico das lectinas conA e conBr na lesão de células acinares pancreáticas induzidas por sais biliares, álcool e ácido palmitoléico : envolvimento do domínio letínico

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas which involves a complex sequence of pathophysiological events, many of which are still unknown. Recent data give more importance to the events that happen within the pancreatic cell. The severity and duration of the stimulus applied to pancreatic acinar cells may lead to apoptosis or necrosis. A large number of studies have demonstrated that the lectin of Canavalia ensiformis (ConA) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) induce cell death by apoptosis in various cell types. However there are no studies on its anti-necrotic effects. Thus, we investigated the effects of ConA and ConBr concerning the death of pancreatic acinar cells, induced by the main triggers of acute pancreatitis. The acinar cells were isolated from the pancreas of male Swiss mice. The cells were pre-incubated with ConA and ConBr for 1h followed by the induction of cell damage by SATC, ethanol or APO administration for 30 min (room temperature, RT). To evaluate the role of the lectin domain of ConBr and ConA, the lectins were preincubated for 1h at 37°C with its alpha-methyl-mannoside (α-MM) ligand sugar, or with a nonbinding sugar, D-galactose, both at a concentration of 0.2M, prior to experimental protocols. All groups were incubated for 5 minutes with the nuclear marker Hoechst 33342 (50 µg/ml) and with the necrosis marker, propidium iodide (PI; 10 µg/ml). In another analysis, ConA and ConBr conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were incubated for 1h (RT) with the acinar cells. To evaluate the effect of ConA and ConBr effect on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔѰm) of pancreatic acinar cells under administration of SATC, ethanol or APO, the cells were stained with Hoechst 33342, and tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM, fluorescent dye that is readily sequestered by active mitochondria). All analyzes were performed using confocal microscope FluoViewTM 1000 - Olympus. The results showed that the SATC, ethanol and APO groups caused significant necrosis on cells compared to control groups, and pretreatment ConBr and ConA caused a significant protection against harmful necrosis caused by all three agents. When lectins were complexed to their α-MM ligand sugar, this protective effect was significantly reversed; not being changed, however, by no specific sugar D-galactose, suggesting a participation of the lectin domain in protective effect. Lectins conjugated with FITC showed a marking on acinar cells at the level of membrane, confirming its interaction with carbohydrates present on the surface of these cells. In the analysis of mitochondrial potential, SATC, ethanol and mainly APO triggered intense depolarization of ΔѰm of pancreatic acinar cells. Pretreatment with ConA prevented mitochondrial dysfunction in all injury models, however ConBr prevented this injury caused by a dysfunction in SATC and ethanol, without changing the dysfunction caused by APO. Given the above, Con A and Con Br protect pancreatic acinar cells against necrosis induced by sulfated taurolithocholic acid, ethanol and APO with its effects mediated by lectin domain, beyond of the maintenance the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane of pancreatic cell, determinant factor to prevent the course of necrosis in acute pancreatitis.