Comparison of mesenteric with antimesenteric crypt and villus populations in the mouse jejunal epithelium

Variation in the size and composition of crypts and villi along the length of the intestinal tract is well known. Here we investigate possible variation around the circumference of the intestine. This is a concern because most studies have ignored potential circumferential variation and its implications for experimental design in cell kinetic studies. We compared the crypt and villus populations of the mesenteric half with those of the antimesenteric half of proximal mouse jejunum. The branching crypt index and crypt and villus dimensions were measured. We found no evidence of differences in the branching crypt index, in the mean crypt and villus size, nor in the distribution of crypt and villus sizes between these two populations.