[Morphological characteristics of enterocyte proliferation and differentiation processes in avitaminosis A]

A significant decrease in the total number of mitotically dividing cells (per 1 crypt), especially in the lower portions of the intestine, was observed in rats with avitaminosis A. The levelling of differences in the number of goblet cells in the upper and lower portions of the intestine was also recorded in the animals with avitaminosis A. The investigations conducted have evidenced retinol participation in differentiation and, to a lesser extent, in proliferation of epitheliocytes of the rat small intestine.