Morphologic evaluations. Villus height and crypt depth in the
duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were determined as previously described
Briefly, these segments were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 24 h
and then embedded in paraffin wax. Sections of 4 mm were cut and
stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Measurements for villus height and
crypt depth were taken by using the Axioskop-2 microscope (Olympus)
and the Image Processing System (Visitron Systems).