The effects of restricted food intake and acute
inflammation on the small bowel were studied, Wistar rats (250 g) were given
subcutaneous injections of
turpentine (TR) and compared to two control groups, at 18, 42 and 66 h. One was fed ad libitum (C), the other was pair fed (PF) with TR. The TR and PF rats showed hypoplasia of the jejunal mucosa with decreased
protein and
DNA contents at 42 h and 66 h. The hypoplasia resulted in a reduced villus height that was significantly different from the controls at 66 h (C: 468 +/- 17, TR[66] : 376 +/- 20, PF[66] : 258 +/- 2.9 microm, P<0.001). This decrease in villus height was significantly greater in the PF rats than in the TR rats at 66 h. The crypt height/villus height (C/V) ratio in the PF rats was greater than in the TR group at all times. However, the
protein and
DNA contents in the TR group were significantly higher than in the PF group at 42 h and 66 h (TR/PF[42] : 29.5 +/- 1.9 vs 20.5 +/- 2.0, P< 0.001, [66]: 25.8 +/- 2.0 vs 16.6 +/- 1.3 mg/10 cm, P,< 0.001).
Disaccharidase activities (
sucrase and
glucoamylase) per 10 cm jejunum at 66 h were significantly lower in the PF group than in the control and TR groups (
sucrase mU/10cm[66] C : 3090 +/- 144, TR 2683 +/- 479, PF 1969 +/- 144, P,< 0.001;
glucoamylase mU/10 cm[66] 237 +/- 25, TR 169 +/- 40, PF 123 +/- 5, P< 0.01). The N-
aminopeptidase patterns in the TR and PF groups were similar. These data suggest that
dietary restriction during acute
inflammation is the main factor causing hypoplasia of the jejunal mucosa. However, acute
inflammation has a trophic effect on the morphological and function of the mucosa. This effect is probably due to inflammatory mediators, whose synthesis is stimulated by
turpentine.