Zeitschrift für Ernährung und Lebensmittelwissenschaften
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In vitro Effects of Ethanol on Intestinal Epithelial Cell Glycosylation in Rats

Nishant Kaushal, Dimple Goyal, Ojha S and Akhtar Mahmood

Ethanol ingestion is known to influence intestinal glycosylation, epithelial cell morphology, luminal micro ecology and produces mal-absorption in mammals. In the present study, the effect of 6% ethanol on glycosylation and various enzyme systems was investigated in isolated epithelial cells in vitro. The activities of various brush border enzymes were reduced 10-30% in epithelial cells by ethanol exposure. Chemical analysis, revealed an increase in membrane sialic acid (70%) and total hexosamine (122%), and reduction in fucose (32%) and hexoses (18%) contents of ethanol treated cells compared to controls. The observed changes in sialylation and fucosylation were corroborated by binding of biotinylated Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA; affinity for N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA; affinity for α-L-fucose). Solid phase lectin binding assay showed a 65% increase in WGA and a 37% decrease in UEA reactivity in ethanol exposed cells compared to controls. These findings indicate that ethanol exposure modulates the glycosylation process in intestinal cells in vitro, which is similar to that seen under in vivo conditions. This may provide an in vitro assay system of ethanol toxicity, which could be of pathological significance.