Trophic response of the intestinal mucosa to inflammation in rats injectedwith turpentine: a study using pair-fed controls

The effects of restricted food intake and acute inflammation on the small b owel were studied, Wistar rats (250 g) were given subcutaneous injections o f turpentine (TR) and compared to two control groups, at 18, 42 and 66 h. O ne 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 mu m, P<0.001). This decre ase in villus height was significantly greater in the PF rats than in the T R rats at 66 h. The crypt height/villus height (C/V) ratio in the PF rats w as 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 lowe r in the PF group than in the control and TR groups (sucrase mU/10 cm[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-aminopep tidase patterns in the TR and PF groups were similar. These data suggest th at dietary restriction during acute inflammation is the main factor causing hypoplasia of the jejunal mucosa. However, acute inflammation has a trophi c effect on the morphological and function of the mucosa. This effect is pr obably due to inflammatory mediators, whose synthesis is stimulated by turp entine. (C) 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.