Morphological and Histochemical Properties of the Regenerated Mucosa in the Ileum of the Rat

Abstract

A study was made of the microscopic appearance and the activity of 10 histochemically demonstrable enzymes in the regenerating ileal mucous membrane in the rat. Ileal defect was induced by the intestinal covering method using the serous coat of parallelly running colon as a defect floor. The defect (about 30 mm long and 5 mm wide) was fully covered by a new mucosa in four to six weeks. The structure of the regenerated mucosa resembled that of the normal ileum, but the muscular layers and submucosa showed only limited regeneration after six weeks. The histochemical pattern of the regenerating mucous membrane was in general similar to that observed in the normal ileum. However, in the crypt epithelium of the new mucosa adenosine triphosphatase was less active and cytochrome oxidase more active than normally.

Key-words:

• Small intestine
• ileum
• intestinal mucosa
• mucosal regeneration
• histochemistry