ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 24, Number 4

Effects of cereal prolamin peptides on differentiated CaCo-2 cells.

ATLA 24, 547-552, July/August 1996

Claudio Giovannini, Roberto Luchetti, Elena Mancini and Massimo De Vincenzi

Department of Metabolism and Pathological Biochemistry, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy

SUMMARY

The effects of peptic-tryptic (PT) digests of prolamins derived from several cereals on differentiated CaCo-2 cells were studied on the nineteenth day of culture. Cell viability was determined by using the MTT assay and the colony-forming ability method. The metabolic consequences of peptide exposure were evaluated by measuring RNA, protein and glycoprotein synthesis. While PT digests from bovine serum albumin and durum wheat did not exert any effects, those derived from bread wheat, barley, rye and oats caused a dramatic inhibitory effect on metabolic synthesis and, when measured by using the colony-forming technique, a decrease in cell viability. The MTT assay did not indicate any changes in cell viability. These observations support the hypothesis that, although prolamin-derived peptides from these cereals do not exert an immediate cytotoxic effect, they are responsible for cell damage by impairment of metabolic processes.

Keywords: cell line, CaCo-2, coeliac disease, prolamin peptides, cereals