Abstract
Newly weaned rats fed 12 weeks on a diet containing no dietary fiber or no fiber except for 10% cellulose, maintained the leaf-like intestinal villous morphology present at weaning, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. In rats on a normal laboratory diet the jejunal morphology showed progression from the leaf-like villous pattern at weaning to broad-leafed, long-ridged villi of adulthood. Pectin added to a no-fiber diet caused structural changes similar to but less well developed than those changes in the rats on a standard diet. Striking differences were noted not only in the appearance of the intestinal villi but in the number of villi per square centimeter between those animals on no fiber or no fiber except cellulose and those animals on pectin or standard diets. Cholestyramine, a strong pharmacological bile salt-binding agent, when added to a nofiber diet, did not promote development of the usual villous pattern, and the structure remained the same as that in rats on no-fiber and cellulose diets. Cellulose (no bile salt-binding capability) and pectin (weak bile salt-binding capability) added to a no-fiber diet were associated with significant differences in the number of villi in both the jejunum and the ileum. The observed changes in morphology are unlikely to be due to differing bile salt-binding capabilities of different fiber substances.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker SJ, Mathan VI, Cherion V: The nature of the villi in the small intestine of the rat. Lancet 1:860, 1963
Altmann GG, Le Blond CP: Factors influencing villus size in the small intestine of adult rats as revealed by transposition of intestinal segments. Am J Anat 127:15–36, 1970
Altmann GG: Influence of bile and pancreatic secretion on the size of the intestinal villi in the rat. Am J Anat 132:167–178, 1971
Clarke RM: Diet, mucosal architecture and epithelial cell production in the small intestine of specified-pathogen-free and conventional rats. Lab Anim 9:201–209, 1975
Clarke RM: The effect of growth and fasting on the number of villi and crypts in the small intestine of the albino rat. J Anat 112:27–33, 1972
Savage DC: Factors involved in colonization of the gut epithelial surface. Am J Clin Nutr 31(10 Suppl):S131-S135, 1978
Jones RS, Grossman MI: Choleretic effects on cholestokinin, gastrin, II, and caerulein in the dog. Am J Physiol 219:1014–1018, 1970
Vonk RJ, Van Doorn ABD, Strubbe JH: Bile secretion and bile composition in the freely moving, unanaesthetized rat with a permanent biliary drainage: Influence of food intake on bile flow. Clin Sci Mol Med 55:253–259, 1978
Keys A, Grande F, Anderson JT: Fiber and pectin in the diet and serum cholesterol concentration in man. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 106:555–558, 1961
Jenkins DJA, Leeds ARL, Cassull MA, Cochet B, Alberti NGM: Decrease in postprandial insulin and glucose concentration by guar and pectin. Ann Intern Med 86:20–23, 1977
Abrams GD: Microbial effects on mucosal structure and function. Am J Clin Nutr 30:1880–1886, 1977
Gordon HA, Bruckner-Kardoss E: Effect of normal microbial flora on intestinal surface area. Am J Physiol 201:175–178, 1961
Lee A, Gemmell E: Changes in the mouse intestinal micro flora during weaning: Role of volatile fatty acids. Infect Immunol 5:1–7, 1972
Spiller GA, Chernoff MC, Hill RA, Gates JE, Nassar JJ, Shipley EA: Effect of purified cellulose, pectin and a low residue diet on fecal volatile fatty acids, transit time and fecal weight in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 33:754–759, 1980
Bryant MP: Nutritional features and ecology of predominant anaerobic bacteria of the intestinal tract. Am J Clin Nutr 27:1313–1319, 1974
Gordon HA, Pesti L: The gnotobiotic animal as a tool in the study of host microbial relationships. Bacteriol Rev 35:390–429, 1971
Hughes CA, Prince A, Dowling RH: Factors influencing intestinal mucosal hypoplasia during total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in rats. Gut 18:A945, 1977
Schneeman BO, Richter BD, Jacobs LR: Response to dietary wheat bran in the exocrine pancreas and intestine of rats. J Nutr 12:283–286, 1982
Cassidy MM, Lightfoot FG, Grau LE, Story JA, Kritchevsky D, Vahouny GV: Effect of chronic intake of dietary fibers on the ultrastructural topography of rat jejunum and colon: A scanning electron microscopy study. Am J Clin Nutr 34:218–228, 1981
Yeshurun D, Gotto AM Jr: Drug treatment of hyperlipidemia. Am J Med 60:379–396, 1976
Kay RM, Truswell AS: Effect of citrus pectin on blood lipids and fecal steroid excretion in man. Am J Clin Nutr 30:171–175, 1977
Cassidy MM, Lightfoot FG, Grau LE, Roy T, Story JA, Kritchevsky D, Vahouny GV: Effect of bile self-binding resins on the morphology of rat jejunum and colon. A scanning electron microscopy study. Dig Dis Sci 25:504–512, 1980
Baker SJ: Geographical variations in the morphology of the small intestinal mucosa in apparently healthy individuals. Pathol Microbiol 39:222–237, 1973
Trowell H: Definition of dietary fiber and hypotheses that it is a protective factor in certain diseases. Am J Clin Nutr 29:417–427, 1976
Owen RL, Brandborg LL: Jejunal morphologic consequences of vegetarian diet in humans. Gastroenterology 72:1111, 1977
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tasman-Jones, C., Owen, R.L. & Jones, A.L. Semipurified dietary fiber and small-bowel morphology in rats. Digest Dis Sci 27, 519–524 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296731
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296731