Alteration of the expression profiles of acidic mucin, sialytransferase, and sulfotransferases in the intestinal epithelium of rats infected with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Acidic mucins such as sialomucin and sulfomucin produced by intestinal epithelial cells have been implicated in the protection of the mucosa from pathogens. In the present study, we analyzed the alteration of acidic mucins in the jejunum of euthymic and athymic rats infected with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis using alcian blue staining and a high iron- diamine method. The numbers of sialomucin(+) goblet cells increased markedly 7 and 10 days post-infection and decreased gradually thereafter in euthymic rats, while athymic rats did not show sialomucin(+) goblet cell hyperplasia at least until 28 days post-infection, suggesting that sialomucin production might be regulated by thymus-derived T cells. On the other hand, the numbers of sulfomucin(+) goblet cells increased markedly 28 days post-infection in both euthymic and athymic rats despite the fact that sulfomucin(+) goblet cell numbers in uninfected athymic rats were significantly smaller than in euthymic rats. Real-time polymerase chain reaction studies on the gene transcription levels of O-glycan sulfotransferases Gal3ST1, Gal3ST2, Gal3ST3, and Gal3ST4 in the jejunal epithelium increased gradually toward day 28 post-infection in euthymic and athymic rats. These results suggest that the production of sulfomucin and expression of Gal3STs are inducible by nematode infection without the activation of thymus-derived T cells.