Objective: 

MOS, a complex carbohydrate, is derived from the cell wall of the yeast Sacchoaromyces cerevisiae. This study determines if MOS crosses over intestinal epithelium and translocated to lamina propria.

Methods: 

MOS labeled with a fluorescently tag was introduced directly into intestinal segments. Its location was determined by fluorescent microscopy (FM) in the fixed sections of the intestine. Pure mannan was isolated from the mannan rich fraction by reacting with 7-methoxycoumarin-3-isocyanate in dimethylsulphoxide. The labeled product was isolated by ethanol precipitation. The fluorescently tag labeled glucan was produced by reacting 97% pure yeast cell wall glucan with the same label. Finally the labeled MOS and glucan was checked with FM to see fluoresces signals. Dextran and albumin were purchased from Sigma.

Results: 

The intestinal segments removed were preserved in 10% formalin and fixed on the slides using the paraffin method. From each segment, 72 glass slides were prepared. Fluorescent microscopy was used to determine the extent of translocation into the lamina propria and images were captured. Slides were evaluated quantitatively by interrogation of color intensity of foci of translocated macromolecules (foci) using a commercial image analysis program that converts color intensity at specific wavelengths into numerical values of intensity. This data was analyzed by ANOVA. A P value of 0.05 was considered to be significant.

Conclusions: 

MOS does not interact specifically with epithelial cells but makes its way to the GALT of the lamina propria via an independent method, which appears to be mediated by dendritic cells. MOS has likely a general adjuvant effect on immune system without causing "danger signals" that are inherent in pathogens.