This study was undertaken to determine cellular structure and function in hypertrophied small intestine following extensive resection. Six beagle puppies underwent 90% enterectomy at 10 weeks of age. The animals were housed with their control littermates and fed the same kennel diet. At one year of age standardized biopsies were taken from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Tissue was immediately fixed for light and electron micrographs and stained for quantitation of 10 mucosal enzymes. Epithelial cells were isolated and incubated at 37ยฐC in Krebs Ringers phosphate saline containing either C''-labeled alphamethyl glucose (2mM), or a radioactive amino acid (lysine, valine, or cystine at 0.565 mM). After incubation the cells were collected and the ratio of counts per ml intracellular fluid to counts per ml extracellular fluid determined.
Active cellular transport of glucose and amino acids did not differ in epithelial cells from resected animals when compared with the controls. Cellular enzyme reactions in the mucosa from the enterectomized animals were histochemically normal and ultrastructure was comparable in both groups of animals.
Structure and function of the epithelial cell in the enterectomized beagle does not significantly differ from the normal animal.
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