A study of the morphological changes in the small intestine of the spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamster.

Several morphological changes were observed microscopically in the small intestine of some diabetic Chinese hamsters. Although some alterations lacked statistical significance due to variation, most diabetics displayed a greater incidence and severity compared with nondiabetic controls. The following structural deviations were seen in the small intestines of some diabetics: increased surface area, elevated number of goblet cells per villus, decreased muscle thickness with connective tissue infiltration, reduced number of Auerbach's plexuses, lymphocyte aggregations accompanied by blunted villi, blood vascular lesions and deformed villi due to excessive loss of epithelial cells.