EFFECTS OF CHOLESTYRAMINE AND DIET ON SMALL-INTESTINAL HISTOMORPHOMETRY IN RATS

Reports on the effects of cholestyramine on small intestinal structure of rats have produced contradictory data about changes in mucosal his tomorphometry, perhaps due to interacting effects of dietary compositi on. In order to identify effects of cholestyramine and diet on structu re of the small intestines, 40 male rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 and fed 1 of each of the following diets for 1 month: standard die t, purified fiber-free diet, standard diet + 2% cholestyramine, or pur ified fiber-free diet + 2% cholestyramine. Serum concentrations of cho lesterol and triglycerides were moderately increased in rats fed the p urified fiber-free diet versus the standard diet. Neither total length nor weight of small intestine were affected by either diet or cholest yramine. Mucosal weight was affected by interactions between cholestyr amine and diet, indicating that outcome depended upon modulating effec ts of both variables. Significant interactions were similarly detected among the variables of anatomic site, diet, and cholestyramine for ma ny histomorphometric parameters of intestinal mucosa. Cholestyramine r educed total mucosal thickness in both jejunum and ileum and reduced v illus height and villus:crypt ratio in the ileum.