Variation of mouse intestinal epithelial whole population cell kinetics during the estrous cycle.

There are contradictory reports on the effect of the estrous cycle on cell proliferation in the intestinal epithelium. We reexamined estrous-cycle-related changes in the epithelium by using flow cytometry and Coulter particle counting. We found significant estrous-cycle-related variations in both the distribution of epithelial cells through the cell cycle as well as the number of epithelial cells per unit area in mouse jejunal and colonic epithelium.