Dietary carbohydrate modifies the density of L cells in the chicken ileum

Glucagon-like peptides (GLPs) are secreted from intestinal L cells and stimulate various physiological functions in the gastrointestinal tract. The secretion of GLPs is influenced by macronutrient ingestion. This study aims to clarify the effects of dietary carbohydrate (CHO) on L cells in the chicken ileum. Six-week-old, male White Leghorn chickens were divided into three groups: control, low-CHO and CHO-free, with five chickens in each group. Paraffin sections were made from the proximal and distal ileum of each animal and subjected to immunohistochemistry for GLP-1 and GLP-2 peptides and in situ hybridization for proglucagon (PG) mRNA. A significant reduction of GLP-1- and GLP-2-immunoreactive cells was observed in the two experimental groups compared with that in the control. A reduction of cells expressing PG mRNA was observed in the proximal and distal ileum of the CHO-free group compared with that in the control. The ratio of GLP-1-immunoreactive cells showing Ki-67 immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the distal ileum of the CHO-free group than that in the control group. These data suggest that dietary CHO is an effective stimulator for modifying L cell density in the chicken ileum.