Oat bran, rye bran, and soybean hull increase goblet cell volume density in the small intestine of the golden hamster. A histochemical and stereologic light-microscopic study.

Small-intestinal morphology, particularly the amount of goblet cells, was studied in Syrian golden hamsters fed either a low-fibre (0.5% fibre) diet or the same diet supplemented with oat bran, rye bran, or soybean hull (12% fibre) during 6 weeks. All fibre diets increased the density of goblet cell volume to epithelial volume and to villus volume in the ileum and to some extent in the jejunum and also the number of goblet cells related to surface traces of villi both in the proximal and distal small intestine. The weight of the small intestine and the circumference and the volume of the intestinal wall in the ileum were greater in the rye bran diet group as compared with all the other groups, suggesting hyperplasia. These results suggest that oat bran, rye bran, and soybean hull supplementation might result in higher goblet cell secretory activity in both the proximal and distal small intestine of hamsters. The various fibre sources influenced the small-intestinal wall differently.