ABSTRACT
To demonstrate the relationship between intestinal histology and
function, we investigated the possibility that compensatory enlargement
of villi in the chickens’ remnant intestine can be induced after 50% or
80% jejunal resection as well as after 50% jejunal plus 70% ileal resection.
Compared with intact control chickens, operated chickens showed
an almost similar body weight, nitrogen retention, and ether extract
digestibility, an improved dry matter digestibility, and a much greater
absorption of protein and ether extract by the remnant jejunum and
ileum. This suggests an enhanced absorptive function of the remnant
intestine. In these chickens, increased value of most light microscopic parameters,
increased frequency of anastomosing of each villus, and increased
number of protuberated epithelial cells appeared with an increase in the intestinal
resection area. This suggests that intestinal villi and epithelial cells
are hypertrophied in the remnant jejunum and ileum, and that intestinal
villi adapt to activated intestinal absorptive function not by increasing their
numbers, but by fusing together into larger villi. These findings demonstrate
that intestinal histology is intimately related to intestinal function.
Anat Rec, 293:2071–2079, 2010. VVC 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.