Electron Microscopic Demonstration of Sialoglycoconjugates in the Sinus Mucosa of Rabbits after Inoculation of the Influenza A Virus

This study was conducted in order to observe ultrastructural changes in the expression of sialoglycoconjugates in maxillary sinus mucosa after inoculation of influenza A virus utilizing four different gold-labeled lectins : ckia amurensis (MAA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), sambucus nigra (SNA), and peanut agglutinin (PNA). A comparison of the affinities of these gold-labeled lectins demonstrated the varying distributions of sialoglycoconjugates in the ciliary layer and the granules in goblet cells. Examination of normal sinus mucosa labeled with four gold-labeled lectins showed the distribution of sialoglycoconjugates to be mainly in the ciliary layer and the granules in goblet cells and restricted to the surface of the cilia, microvilli and the secretory light granules. The application of an influenza A virus infection decreased the labeling intensity of gold-labeled MAA in the cilia and the secretory granules but not of WGA. SNA gold did not label the surface of the cilia and granules in either case. PNA gold particles, however, labeled the cilia and the secretory granules very weakly in normal sinus mucosa, but labeled moderately in cases of influenza A virus infection. These results suggest that the sugar residues of sialoglycoconjugates consist of Neu5Ac(alpha2, 3)Gal, GlcNAc, Neu5Ac. They also suggest that the sugar residues serve as a protecting factor or modulator against influenza A virus infection.

Changes of the Sialoglycoconjugates in the Maxillary Sinus Mucosa of theRabbits after Inoculation of Influenza a Virus / 대한이비인후과학회지

The present study was carried out in order to observe the changes in the expression of the sialoglycoconjugates of the rabbit sinus mucosa after inoculation of influenza A virus utilizing a biotin labeled lectins for light microscopy with four different lectins; Maackia amurensis(MAA), Wheat germ agglutinin(WGA), Sambucus nigra(SNA), and Peanut(PNA). A comparison of the affinity of these lectins demonstrated the different distribution of sialoglycoconjugates in the ciliary layer and goblet cells. The normal sinus mucosa stained with four types of lectins showed that the sialoglycoconjugates were mainly distributed in the ciliary layer and goblet cells. Moreover, the main sugar residues of the sialoglycoconjugates were figured out to be consisted of Neu5Ac(alpha2,3)Gal, GlcNAc and Neu5Ac. Influenza A virus infection decreased the staining intensity of the mucosa with MAA, but not with WGA. The staining intensity of PNA, however, was highly increased in the viral infected mucosa. These results suggest that Neu5Ac(alpha2,3)Gal sugar residues may be required as protecting factor or modulator for Influenza A virus infectivity.