Effects of fasting and feeding and pilocarpine on paneth cells of the mouse.

The effects of fasting and feeding and pilocarpine on Paneth cells (PC) of the mouse were studied by labelling the secretory granules of PC with dopamine and by counting the number of granules. Pilocarpine stimulated the extrusion of granules from the cytoplasm of the cells and significantly decreased their number, whereas fasting for 2 days significantly increased the granule count of cells. Standard food did not have any effect on PC of the duodenum, whereas in the jejunum resuming eating after 2 days fasting significantly decreased the number of granules when compared with the mice deprived of the food.