dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaPostprandial morphological response of the intestinal epithelium of the Burmese python (Python molurus)
| Authors | Jean-Hervé Lignot, Cécile Helmstetter, Stephen M Secor |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0611019 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0611019 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.05.005 |
| Journal | Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 141 (2005) 280-291 |
Abstract
The postprandial morphological changes of the intestinal epithelium of Burmese pythons were examined using fasting pythons and at eight time points after feeding. In fasting pythons, tightly packed enterocytes possess very short microvilli and are arranged in a pseudostratified fashion. Enterocyte width increases by 23% within 24 h postfeeding, inducing significant increases in villus length and intestinal mass. By 6 days postfeeding, enterocyte volume had peaked, following as much as an 80% increase. Contributing to enterocyte hypertrophy is the cellular accumulation of lipid droplets at the tips and edges of the villi of the proximal and middle small intestine, but which were absent in the distal small intestine. At 3 days postfeeding, conventional and environmental scanning electron microscopy revealed cracks and lipid extrusion along the narrow edges of the villi and at the villus tips. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the rapid postprandial lengthening of enterocyte microvilli, increasing 4.8-fold in length within 24 h, and the maintaining of that length through digestion. Beginning at 24 h postfeeding, spherical particles were found embedded apically within enterocytes of the proximal and middle small intestine. These particles possessed an annular-like construction and were stained with the calcium-stain Alizarine red S suggesting that they were bone in origin. Following the completion of digestion, many of the postprandial responses were reversed, as observed by the atrophy of enterocytes, the shortening of villi, and the retraction of the microvilli. Further exploration of the python intestine will reveal the underlying mechanisms of these trophic responses and the origin and fate of the engulfed particles.
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"abstract": "The postprandial morphological changes of the intestinal epithelium of\nBurmese pythons were examined using fasting pythons and at eight time points\nafter feeding. In fasting pythons, tightly packed enterocytes possess very\nshort microvilli and are arranged in a pseudostratified fashion. Enterocyte\nwidth increases by 23% within 24 h postfeeding, inducing significant increases\nin villus length and intestinal mass. By 6 days postfeeding, enterocyte volume\nhad peaked, following as much as an 80% increase. Contributing to enterocyte\nhypertrophy is the cellular accumulation of lipid droplets at the tips and\nedges of the villi of the proximal and middle small intestine, but which were\nabsent in the distal small intestine. At 3 days postfeeding, conventional and\nenvironmental scanning electron microscopy revealed cracks and lipid extrusion\nalong the narrow edges of the villi and at the villus tips. Transmission\nelectron microscopy demonstrated the rapid postprandial lengthening of\nenterocyte microvilli, increasing 4.8-fold in length within 24 h, and the\nmaintaining of that length through digestion. Beginning at 24 h postfeeding,\nspherical particles were found embedded apically within enterocytes of the\nproximal and middle small intestine. These particles possessed an annular-like\nconstruction and were stained with the calcium-stain Alizarine red S suggesting\nthat they were bone in origin. Following the completion of digestion, many of\nthe postprandial responses were reversed, as observed by the atrophy of\nenterocytes, the shortening of villi, and the retraction of the microvilli.\nFurther exploration of the python intestine will reveal the underlying\nmechanisms of these trophic responses and the origin and fate of the engulfed\nparticles.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0611019",
"authors": [
"Jean-Herv\u00e9 Lignot",
"C\u00e9cile Helmstetter",
"Stephen M Secor"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.05.005",
"journal_ref": "Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 141 (2005) 280-291",
"title": "Postprandial morphological response of the intestinal epithelium of the Burmese python (Python molurus)",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0611019"
},
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