The stem-cell zone of the small intestinal epithelium. IV. Effects of resecting 30% of the small intestine.

In the mouse jejunum, as in the rat, a new steady state was established 3 weeks after resection of 30% of the small intestine. The mean height of a villus, crypt, and proliferative zone increased. We studied the effects of this new steady state on the distribution of the four main epithelial cell types and on the stem-cell zone. Beginning 2 cm distal to the ligament of Treitz, 10 cm of jejunum were resected. In control animals the jejunum was transected 12 cm distal to the ligament of Treitz and then rejoined. The mice were killed 1 and 3 weeks after surgery and a piece of jejunum 4 cm distal to the anastomosis collected. One hour before death the animals were given an injection of 1 mu Ci/gm 3H-thymidine. The tissue was embedded in Epon and then serial 1 micron sections were prepared and radioautographed. One week after resection there was a transient increase in the proportion of enteroendocrine cells in the crypts. This returned to control levels 3 weeks after resection. Thus, there appeared to be a feedback from the enteroendocrine population onto enteroendocrine cell production. After resection, amplification of mucous cell numbers by mucous cell division was reduced and yet normal proportions of mucous cells were observed in the epithelium. Therefore, an increased proportion of stem-cell output must have been committed to the mucous and enteroendocrine cell lines. The increased height of the proliferative zone that followed 30% resection was not due to an increase in the number of transit divisions through the proliferative zone. Instead it was due to an increased output from the stem-cell zone into the proliferative zone. Evidence was presented which indicates that the increased output from the stem-cell zone was due to an increased number of stem cells in the zone, at the expense of non-stem cells. The height of the stem-cell zone, as indicated by the Paneth cell distribution, the mucous cell distribution, and the distribution of labeled mucous cells, did not change after 30% resection.