Grafting of stomach tissue into the duodenum in F344 rats results in chimeric crypts and tumor development

Gastric tissue was transplanted from the fundic and pyloric mucosa of 8-wee k old female F344 rats into the duodenum of males. Autopsy, 12 months after the operation, revealed grafts associated with persistent stones in the du odenum and/or calcification in the tissue. Pepsinogen positive chimeric gla nds with goblet cells also appeared in the grafts which gave rise to tumors in 18 out of 45 animals (40%). In conclusion, stomach grafts re-differenti ate into intestine with goblet cells in the duodenum and this process predi sposes to tumor development.