The relationship between intestinal histology and function as shown by compensatory enlargement of remnant villi after midgut resection in chickens.

To demonstrate the relationship between intestinal histology and function, we investigated the possibility that compensatory enlargement of villi in the chickens' remnant intestine can be induced after 50% or 80% jejunal resection as well as after 50% jejunal plus 70% ileal resection. Compared with intact control chickens, operated chickens showed an almost similar body weight, nitrogen retention, and ether extract digestibility, an improved dry matter digestibility, and a much greater absorption of protein and ether extract by the remnant jejunum and ileum. This suggests an enhanced absorptive function of the remnant intestine. In these chickens, increased value of most light microscopic parameters, increased frequency of anastomosing of each villus, and increased number of protuberated epithelial cells appeared with an increase in the intestinal resection area. This suggests that intestinal villi and epithelial cells are hypertrophied in the remnant jejunum and ileum, and that intestinal villi adapt to activated intestinal absorptive function not by increasing their numbers, but by fusing together into larger villi. These findings demonstrate that intestinal histology is intimately related to intestinal function.