Evaluation of P53 Expression in Animal Model of Gastric Injury Subjected to a Cowpea Protein Diet

Abstract

In the last 20 years, the use of protein concentrates from beans has increased due to their high nutritive value. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), is a leguminous cultivated in the NEA region of Argentina. Cowpea presents 17-28% of proteins, and is believed to be involved in the regenerative process of tissues. The use of cowpea to repair the gastric epithelium has being previously tested in our lab in experimental animals with gastric injuries. In the present work we have studied the expression of p53 protein. p53 oncogene is involved in the vast majority of cancers, such as Lynch syndrome and others of gastrointestinal origin. The main aim of this work was to analyze the expression of p53 in experimental animals subjected to gastric injury with ethanol and food supplementation with cowpea seeds. 7 weeks old Balb-c male mice divided in five experimental groups were analyzed. Dietary supplements were elaborated in the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, UBA, containing proteins from cowpea. A single dose of ethanol 96° (10ml/kg) was administrated intragastrically. Animals from each experimental group were monitored throughout the experience. They were anesthetized and sacrificed and the stomach and intestine were extracted for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. In all cases, national and international bioethical standards (ANMAT N° 5330/97) were followed. Experimental group from dietary supplement with animal protein and dietary supplement cowpea, showed histologically normal development of the studied organs. Groups that were subjected to induction of gastric injury by ethanol, presented according to the case, histological variations, such as alteration of mucous cell membranes, dehydration and cytotoxic effects. Interestingly, ethylic alcohol + dietary supplement cowpea group showed a significant decline in the damage induced by ethylic alcohol. Minimal changes were seen in p53 expression by immunohistochemically technique. These results lead as to conclude that, although the dietary supplement cowpea might have an important role in the protection of gastric tissue, intervening positively in this process, it is necessary to deepen the study of p53 by alternative methodologies. This is why we propose as the next stage of our work to study the mRNA expression of p53 in the same experimental model.