Urogastrone-epidermal growth factor is trophic to the intestinal epithelium of parenterally fed rats

Summary The weight of the stomach, small intestine and colon and the mucosal crypt cell production rate of these tissues were significantly decreased after 10 days on an isocaloric TPN diet when compared to orally fed controls. Continuous infusion of recombinant beta urogastrone, at a dose below that needed to inhibit gastric acid secretion, largely prevented this decrease in crypt cell production rate and gastrointestinal tissue weights.     

Development and differentiation of the intestinal epithelium

The gastrointestinal tract develops from a simple tube to a complex organ with patterns of differentiation along four axes of asymmetry. The organ is composed of all three germ layers signaling to each other during development to form the adult structure. The gut epithelium is a constitutively developing tissue, constantly differentiating from a stem cell in a progenitor pool throughout the life of the organism. Signals from the adjacent mesoderm and between epithelial cells are required for normal orderly development/differentiation, homeostasis, and apoptosis. Embryonically important patterning factors are used during adult stages for these processes. Such critical pathways as the hedgehog, bone morphogenetic protein, Notch, Sox, and Wnt systems are used both in embryologic and adult times of gut development. We focus on and review the roles of these factors in gut epithelial cell development and differentiation.Received 18 October 2002; received after revision 18 December 2002; accepted 18 December 2002     

Effect of penicillin on growth and pancreatic amylase levels of rats fed soybean diets

Zusammenfassung Die wachstumshemmende Wirkung von rohem Sojabohnenmehl wurde durch peroral oder subkutan verabreichtes Penizillin teilweise aufgehoben. Verfütterung von rohem Sojabohnenmehl verringerte den Amylase-Gehalt des Pankreas. Peroral verabreichtes Penizillin erhöhte den Amylase-Gehalt des Pankreas, unabhängig von der Art des Sojabohnenmehls des Futters.     

Impairment of growth and pancreatic hypertrophy in rats fed trypsin inhibitor from raw peanuts

Zusammenfassung Trypsinhemmende Präparate aus rohen Erdnüssen (Arachis hypogaea) wurden während 6 Wochen jungen Ratten verfüttert. Das normale Wachstum wurde verzögert und eine Hypertrophie des Pankreas mit gleichzeitiger Hyperplasie der serösen Drüsenzellen bewirkt. Hitzebehandelte Präparate hingegen waren wirkungslos.     

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) accelerates the maturation of fetal mouse intestinal mucosa in utero

Summary Pregnant Swiss ICR mice were injected i.p. with 0.5 g of epidermal growth factor (EGF) per g b. wt at 15, 16 and 17 days of gestation and fetuses were removed at 18 days of gestation. EGF treatment had no effect on the weight of the fetuses and on the length of the small intestine. No modification of the protein and DNA contents was noted. However brush border alkaline phosphatase and trehalase activities were significantly increased as well as endoplasmic reticulum membrane-bound glucose-6-phosphatase.Supported by grant MA-6069 from the Medical Research Council of Canada. Dr D. Ménard is a chercheur boursier du Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec     

Somatic growth in hypophysectomized pituitary-homografted rats is promoted by prolactin

Summary Hypophysectomized male rats bearing a homograft of two adenopituitaries under the kidney capsule showed a significant increase in b.wt as compared to hypophysectomized non-homografted animals. Radiommunoassay of growth hormone (GH), ACTH, -MSH,-endorphin and prolactin (PRL) revealed that only the latter was highly increased in the plasma of hypophysectomized homografted rats. These animals showed also increased levels of plasma corticosterone. However, daily injection of corticosterone failed to promote somatic growth in hypophysectomized non-homografted rats. These results suggest that PRL, and not other hormonal factors, promotes somatic growth in hypophysectomized homografted rats, and stress the concept that only PRL is secreted in significant amounts by pituitary homografts.     

Further studies on the circadian rhythm in the proliferative activity of mouse intestinal epithelium

Zusammenfassung Im Tagesrhythmus der Proliferationstätigkeit von Darmepithelien wurde in drei verschiedenen Parametern um 02.00 Uhr ein Maximum gefunden. Mögliche Mechanismen werden erörtert.     

Increased sensitivity to pentobarbital in rats fed a diet lacking flavonoids.

Pentobarbital-sensitivity is highly increased in rats fed a diet lacking flavonoids; sleeping time was found to be increased by 42 and 30% as compared with rats fed a normal diet. These studies confirm our previous statement according to which for the rat, benzopyrones are vitamins.     

Experimental desquamation of intestinal epithelium for in vivo studies of regeneration

Summary Complete removal of villous as well as upper-crypt epithelium was achieved in vivo by vibration of an intestinal segment using tetraphenylboron sodium (TPB) as a disassociation agent.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Hicol Industrieterrein De Bosschen for supplying TPB. Research was supported by MR-II 1.3.14.p.2 grant.