AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 247, Issue 6 645-G650, Copyright © 1984 by American Physiological Society
Differential growth rate of rat gastric mucosal cells during postnatal ontogeny
D. M. Jacobs and S. H. Ackerman
The growth rate of surface epithelial, chief, and parietal cells of the
base and neck of oxyntic glands was studied in the albino rat by comparing
morphometric measures at days 15, 21, 30, and 100 postnatally. All cells
increased in size. The number of cells per micrometer squared increased
rapidly for chief cells and base parietal cells, while neck parietal cells
remained constant and surface epithelial cells decreased. There was a net
increase in the volume density of parietal and chief cells and a slight net
decrease in surface epithelial cells during postnatal development. In a
second experiment, the effects of early weaning on these variables was
studied. Early-weaned rats gained less body weight than normally weaned
counterparts. The change in surface epithelial cell size was not affected
by early weaning. However, parietal and chief cells grew more quickly,
initially, in early-weaned rats than in normally weaned rats. Cell numbers
were unaffected except for an initial decrease in relative number of neck
parietal cells. One long-term effect of early weaning was noted. The size
and volume density of neck parietal cells in early-weaned rats was smaller,
in the adult animal, then in normally weaned rats.
