A QUANTITATIVE HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF INTESTINAL MUCOSA AFTER X-IRRADIATION

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Abstract
The effect of low doses of x-irradiation (50-400 R) on the activity of various enzymes in rat intestinal epithelium has been investigated by histochemical staining methods and quantitative microchemical analyses of crypts and villi dissected from frozen-dried sections. Irradiation had no effect on the activities of enzymes which in nonirradiated animals are present exclusively or mainly in the villus epithelium (aminopeptidase, various phosphatases) or are evenly distributed along the epithelium of crypts and villi (various dehydrogenases). However, nonspecific esterase activity decreased markedly both in crypt epithelium and villus epithelium. This occurred 36 hr after irradiation, independent of the radiation dose. The number of crypt cells with reduced esterase activity and the duration of the effect increased with higher radiation doses. These results were confirmed by quantitative analyses which also showed that esterase activity is 5 times higher in the villus than in the crypt. The remarkable correspondance between the period of reduced esterase activity in the crypt and the period of increased proliferative activity after various radiation doses suggest a relationship between changes in crypt cell population dynamics and esterase activity; the functional consequences for the villus epithelium of changes in the crypt cells after irradiation are discussed.

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