The effects of diet on the residual small intestine following massive resection.

The midportions of rat small intestines were resected by 90 per cent, and the residual intestines studied for the effects of diet on mucosal morphology, nutrition and gastrointestinal hormones. Groups of rats were fed chow, an elemental diet (ED), or an ED + dietary fiber (EDF) for 1 or 3 weeks. Nonresected rats which were fed chow or ED for 3 weeks were used as controls. Nutritional parameters, such as concentrations of serum total protein, albumin and transferrin were favorable but gain in body weight was not. The parameters indicated that resected rats fed EDF fared better than resected rats fed ED. Mucosal villous height in the residual jejunum, similar in all the resected groups after 1 week, was significantly increased in the resected rats fed chow or EDF after 3 weeks, but did not differ between 1 and 3 weeks in the resected rats fed ED. Changes in the number of villous epithelial cells and villous width were also examined. The level of plasma enteroglucagon was high in the rats fed chow or EDF after both 1 and 3 weeks, and was positively correlated with the increases in villous height. Levels of serum gastrin were not affected by dietary change. Luminal nutrients were significantly associated with the adaptive changes in the mucosa of the residual intestine, and mucosal morphology was also considerably influenced by dietary change.