Cell Population Changes in the Intestinal Epithelium of the Rat following Starvation and Protein-Depletion ∗

Abstract

Summary

In rats starved for periods up to 10 days or fed a protein-free diet for periods up to 11 weeks, the number of cells per crypt of the small intestine declined steadily. During this time, however, with the exception of the rats kept on a protein-free diet for 11 weeks, the number of cells per crypt synthesizing DNA and dividing remained the same as in the control crypts, thus resulting in an increase in the labeling and mitotic indices in the experimental animals. The hypoplasia in the crypts, despite the fact that there were a constant number of cells per crypt undergoing proliferative activity was due to the inhibitory effect of the dietary regimes on the generation cycle time. The synthetic and the mitotic phases of the cycle are inhibited to the greatest extent.