A morphometric investigation of the duodenal mucosa of normal, vitamin D-deficient, and vitamin D-replete rats.

Light and electron microscopy were utilized to determine differences in morphology and size in duodenal villi and microvilli from normal, vitamin D-deficient, and vitamin D-replete rats. An increase in villus diameter and surface area was observed in vitamin D-deficient rats. Administration of vitamin D reversed the increase in diameter but the height of villi increased resulting in longer, thinner villi without a significant change in surface area. A decrease in microvillus surface area seen in vitamin D-deficient animals was reversed by the administration of vitamin D.