Figure 9.

Aluminum citrate (AluCi) inhibits epithelial cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. C57BL6 mice were fed with AluCi or phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for 10 days after dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. (a, b) Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining of colon sections (a) and its quantification (b) showed a decrease in epithelial cell proliferation in mice having received aluminum as compared with mice administered phosphate buffer saline (PBS). (c, d) Terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) immunostaining of the same colons (c) and its quantification (d) shows no significant difference in epithelial cell apoptosis. Caco-2 cells were incubated with increasing doses of AluCi (50 and 100 μg ml⁻¹) for 5 days. (e) MTT assay showed a decrease in epithelial cell proliferation. (f) Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assay in the supernatants did not reveal any significant variation.