Histomorphometric study of role of lactoferrin in atrophy of the intestinal mucosa of rats

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to study the effects of oral administration of lactoferrin (Lf) in rats subjected to atrophy of the small intestine induced by a diet based on soy protein concentrate as the main protein source. We used 24 male Wistar rats aged 40 days, kept in individual cages under appropriate conditions of temperature, light and humidity. The animals were divided into four groups (n = 6); 1) group SL received soy-based food and, once a day, a supplement of 200mg/kg of Lf administered by gavage; 2) group Si received the soy feed without supplement of Lf; 3) group CL received a diet based on casein plus Lf; 4) group Ci received the casein diet without supplement of Lf. At the end of fifteen days, a 10 mm segment of the initial portion of the small intestine was sectioned and subjected to morphometry of the intestinal crypts and villi and assessment of the number and size of myofibroblasts. Comparison between groups showed that the length of the villi was similar in groups Ci and CL and higher in CL than in SL; SL than in Si, in Ci than in SL, and in Ci than in Si to Ci. The crypt depth was similar in SL and CL, SL and Ci and Ci and CL and was higher in Si than in Ci and in Si than in SL. The number of myofibroblasts was higher in SL than in CL, in SL than in Si, in CL than in Ci, and in SL than in and Ci; between Ci and Si there was no difference. The area of myofibroblasts was similar between the groups SL and CL and Si and Ci and higher in SL than in Si, and in Cl than in and Ci, and in SL than in Ci. All statistical analysis assumed significance when p < 0.05. From these results, we conclude that lactoferrin increases the number and size of the pericrypt myofibroblasts and stimulates rapidly the regeneration of atrophied villi.

Histomorphometric study of the effect of methionine on small intestine parameters in rat: an applied histologic study

“…Then small segments of intestine, about 1 cm in size, were removed from the duodenum (below the pyloro-duodenal junction), jejunum (2 cm anterior to Meckel's diverticulum) and ileum (2 cm anterior to ileocecal junction). All intestinal portions were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for 10 days [4,36], dehydrated in graded anhydrous absolute ethanol and xylol, embedded in paraffin blocks and then cut into 5 µm sections. In each animal, one section that represented the best view of villus and crypts was selected to be analysed.…”

“…The relation between small intestine and nutritional factors is very complicated. Nutrients may directly cause changes or adaptations in the intestinal mucosa [4,47].…”

The Use of Fermented Soybean Meals during Early Phase Affects Subsequent Growth and Physiological Response in Broiler Chicks

“…At 7 d of age, 8 chicks per treatment were selected, weighed individually and humanely euthanized by cervical dislocation. Immediately after euthanasia, small intestine was excised and 1-cm long segments were sampled from upper one-third region of the jejunum and distal two-third region of the ileum for histological measurement ( Caruso et al, 2012 ). The segments from jejunum and ileum were fixed in 10% neutralized buffered formalin (BBC Biochemistry, Mount Vernon, WA, USA) and embedded in paraffin.…”

Effects of dietary supplemented of γ-amino butyric acid on growth performance, blood biochemical indices and intestinal morphology of yellow-feathered broilers exposed to a high temperature environment

“…The tissue sections were collected on glass slides, deparaffinized, stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and then examined for histological features under a light microscope (50Â magnification, DM-1000, Leica Microsystems Inc., Germany), respectively. Villus length and crypt depth were measured with Leica Application Suite X software in 3 fields per slide and 3 villi per field, using the methods of Caruso et al (2012). Villus length was measured from the crypt-villus junction to the villus top, whereas crypt depth was measured from the muscular mucosa to the crypt-villus junction, so that villus length: crypt depth ratio (V/C) could be calculated.…”