Effect of chronic intake of dietary fibers on the ultrastructural topography of rat jejunum and colon: a scanning electron microscopy study

This report is an attempt to quantitate the observable topographical characteristics of small and large intestine after a specific dietary regimen under well-defined states of lipid absorption and metabolism. Alfalfa, white wheat bran, cellulose, and pectin were fed for 6 wk at a level of 15 g/100 g diet to four groups of rats (12 rats per dietary group). A 5th control group was maintained on Purina Rat Chow. Three animals from each group were blind-coded for morphological assessment. After anesthesia, the jejunum and mid-colon were removed and processed for scanning electron microscopy. Beginning with the mildest mucosal surface changes, the observed order in terms of increasing severity is bran < cellulose < pectin < alfalfa. Our observations suggest that altered rates of cell loss in intestinal tract cytokinetics may be occurring with particular feeding patterns and should be considered as a possible mechanism in the nutritional consequences of dietary fiber intake.