Calcium-binding activity of rat intestinal mucosa after massive small bowel resection

Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent resection of 50 cm of either proximal or distal small intestine or sham-operation. 6-7 weeks after operation mucosal calcium-binding activity was measured in segments of duodenum ileum and remaining 'midgut'. Similar measurements were obtained from weight and age-matched unoperated rats. There was no difference in calcium-binding activity between unoperated and sham-operated animals. After proximal resection the binding activity increased significantly in duodenum and midgut but did not change in ileum. After distal resection the binding activity decreased in duodenum but was unchanged in midgut and ileum. These studies show that mucosal calcium-binding activity undergoes changes but alteration of the binding activity in remaining gut varies with the location of the small bowel resection.