Rm. Prieto et al., MORPHOLOGICAL ADAPTIVE-CHANGES OF SMALL-INTESTINAL TRACT REGIONS DUE TO PREGNANCY AND LACTATION IN RATS, Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 38(5), 1994, pp. 295-300
In order to know the adaptive changes of small intestine regions (duod
enum, and proximal, medial and distal jejunum-ileum) due to the reprod
uctive stage (virgin, pregnancy and lactation), the weight, mucosal pr
oportion, mucosal DNA and protein contents and protein/DNA ratio in fe
male Wistar rats were measured. Pregnancy induces hypertrophy of the p
roximal half of the small intestine (duodenum and proximal jejunum-ile
um), whereas lactation induces hyperplasia in all small intestinal reg
ions and also hypertrophy but only in the duodenum.