Non-homogeneous marking of distal colonic mucosa using Dolichos biflorus lectin

A carbohydrate polymorphism that is restricted to the intestinal epithelium and vascular endothelium has been observed in a panel of inbred mouse lines, including the SWR/J (endothelium positive, epithelium negative) and DBA/2J (reverse pattern). This carbohydrate polymorphism is recognized by the conjugated lectin, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), and has been used to examine the clonality of intestinal cells in mouse aggregation chimeras. The SWR/J (tumor susceptible) and DBA/2J (resistant) mouse lines are important models for the study of chemically induced colorectal cancer. To extend these earlier findings to several additional inbred mouse lines that exhibit widely different genetic susceptibilities to the carcinogenic properties of colon carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), we undertook a study to examine DBA binding in the colonic epithelium of four inbred mouse lines (AKR/J, P/J, SWR/J and DBA/2J). DBA binding was examined in discrete regions of the colon (proximal, middle and distal). In SWR/J mice, DBA binding was not altered in colon tissue from a DMH-treated mouse exhibiting early dysplastic changes, suggesting the usefulness of this marker for studying clonal descent of early neoplastic tissue in chimeras. Interestingly, DBA marking patterns became non-homogeneous in a proximal to distal orientation in the AKR/J and P/J mice. These findings with DBA are discussed in terms of the usefulness of this cellular marker as a method of establishing clonal descent in carcinogen treated mouse aggregation chimeras.