Cell kinetics in the small intestine of suckling rats. I. Influence of hypophysectomy.

Cell kinetics have been examined in the duodena of intact rats at 6, 16, and 22 days of age, and of hypophysectomized rats at 22 days. In intact rats the crypt population per villus increases more than 10-fold, the greater part of the increase occurring late in the third week. The labelling index does not differ between 6 (28.3%) and 16 (27.6%) days, but increases to 37.8% at 22 days. Generation time also does not differ between 6 (18.0 hours) and 16 (17.7 hours) days, but falls to 10.8 hours at 22 days by shortening of both the presynthetic and synthetic phases. Acceleration of cell migration rate between 18 and 19 days of age results in shortening of cell transit time from seven days in rats younger than 18 days to two days in those older than 18 days. When rats are hypophysectomized at six days, the duodenal crypt population per villus at 22 days is comparable to that of intact rats at 16 days. The labelling index at 22 days is 19% below that of intact rats at six days. Generation time at 22 days is slightly shortened by a decrease of the presynthetic phase, but the duration of 15.5 hours is 43% longer than in intact rats at the same age. Despite the small crypt population and the low cell production rate, the cell-transient time in 22-day-old hypophysectomized animals is only three days.