INHIBITION OF THE CELLULAR-METABOLISM OF CACO-2 CELLS BY PROLAMIN PEPTIDES FROM CEREALS TOXIC FOR CELIACS

Peptic-tryptic (PT) digests of prolamins derived from several cereals were tested on differentiated Caco-2 cells to study the effect on cell ular metabolism, particularly on DNA, RNA, protein and glycoprotein sy nthesis. Cell viability was evaluated after treatment with the same ce reals. Whereas PT digests from bovine serum albumin and both durum whe at types (diploid and tetraploid) did not exert any effect, bread whea t, oats, barley and rye exerted an inhibitory effect close to 80% for DNA and RNA synthesis and close to 60% for (glyco)protein synthesis. C ell viability evaluated by MTT tests did not show any differences betw een treated and untreated cells. These observations, and previous resu lts, suggest that, whereas prolamin-derived peptides from bread wheat, barley, rye and oats did not cause an immediate cytotoxic effect, the y, were however, responsible for cell damage impairing cell metabolism . Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.