Morphoquantitative evaluation of the duodenal myenteric neuronal population in rats fed with hypoproteic ration

• Published in: Biocell Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 39 - 46
• Main Authors: Marçal Natali, Maria Raquel, Molinari, Sonia Lucy, Valentini, Luiz Cristiano, Hubner de Miranda Neto, Marcilio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Argentina Tech Science Press 01.04.2005; Sociedad Latinoamericana de Microscopía Electrónica.; Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (Mendoza, Argentina)
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Animals; BIOLOGY; Cell Size; Dietary Proteins - metabolism; Duodenum; Duodenum - growth & development; Duodenum - innervation; Duodenum - metabolism; Enteric nervous system; Food, Formulated - adverse effects; Intestinal Mucosa - cytology; Intestinal Mucosa - growth & development; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Male; Morphometry; Mucosa; Muscle, Smooth - cytology; Muscle, Smooth - growth & development; Muscle, Smooth - metabolism; Myenteric plexus; Myenteric Plexus - cytology; Myenteric Plexus - growth & development; Myenteric Plexus - metabolism; Neurons; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Protein Deficiency - metabolism; Protein Deficiency - physiopathology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Statistical analysis; Hypoproteic ration; Myenteric neurons; Small intestine; Morphometric
• ISSN: 0327-9545; 1667-5746; 1667-5746
• DOI: 10.32604/biocell.2005.29.039

The purpose of this work was to analyze the morphoquantitative behavior of the neurons of the myenteric plexus, as well as the morphometry of the duodenal wall, in adult rats fed with normoproteic (22%) and hypoproteic (8%) rations, killed at the age of 345 days. For neuronal assessments duodenal whole-mounts stained with the Giemsa method were used, and for the evaluation of the duodenal wall routine histological processing and staining with Hematoxilin-Eosin were employed. The means of the number of neurons in 80 microscopic fields (12.72 mm2) and of the size of the neuronal cell bodies did not reveal statistically significant differences between the groups, but there was a greater incidence of large neurons in the protein restriction group (RP). The duodenum was markedly smaller in the RP group and, although there was no difference in the thickness of its wall, the mucosa was larger and the muscular layer was smaller in group RP. It was concluded that the neuronal and non-neuronal components of the duodenum adjust themselves to the nutritional condition, assuring the maintenance of their functions.