[Goblet cells in spontaneous colibacteriosis in pigs]

This work is a part of the studies on the intestinal barrier undertaken to cast some more light on the pathogenesis of colibacteriosis in pigs. The objective of the work was to investigate the goblet cells in the intestines of pigs ill with spontaneous colibacteriosis in the form of oedema disease and gastrointestinal form. The investigations were carried out on 26 pigs segregated into 3 groups: I group -- typical oedema disease (12 pigs), II group -- colibacteriosis in the gastrointestinal form (8 pigs), III group -- healthy controls (6 pigs). The segregation into the first two groups was based on the clinical, pathological and bacteriological criteria. In all the animals, the number of the goblet cells was counted in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon. The results, analysed statistically, showed that in spontaneous colibacteriosis (oedema disease as well as the gastrointestinal form) a slight decrease of the number of the goblet cells was observed. In oedema disease, this decrease is significant only in the epithelium of the jejunal villi and in that of the colon, in the gastrointestinal form -- in the duodenal and jejunal villi. It results from the present investigations that the goblet cells, as one of the factors of the intestinal barrier, are not liable to such changes in spontaneous colibacteriosis as to explain or cast light on the pathogenesis of this disease.