Exudate variation in the rabbit gastrointestinal tract: a scanning electron microscope study

The mucosal exudate from the gastrointestinal tract of six adult female New Zealand rabbits was studied using scanning electron microscopy and without any attempt being made to clean the luminal surface before screening. The exudate consisted of mucus, debris and bacteria. Qualitative assessment showed that the nature and distribution of exudate varied along the length of the gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus to the anal canal, with little variation from animal to animal. Bacterial counts for rod-shaped bacteria were carried out on areas randomly selected from the upper, middle and lower oesophagus and the oesophageal-cardiac junction. The degree of bacterial colonisation was found to decrease along the length of the oesophagus from upper to lower parts, but it was increased at the oesophageal-cardiac junction. This assessment was not undertaken in the other regions of the gastrointestinal tract as the mucosal surface areas could not be easily measured owing to their undulating nature. The study indicates the variability of the mucosal exudate, which should be recognised as part of the true interface between ingested food and the cell surface along the gastrointestinal tract.