Histopathological evaluation of crypt fission during intestinal development in neonatal mice

Pathological evaluation of juvenile toxicity studies requires the understanding of normal tissue development at different ages. Here, we report the morphological features of the neonatal mouse intestine, focusing on crypt fission. Postnatal day (PND) 7 and 14 mice showed fewer crypts and less mature epithelial morphology compared to PND 21 and 28. Crypt fission occurred in three stages: 1) flattening of the crypt base into a skirt shape, 2) penetration of myofibroblasts into the crypt base center, and 3) complete separation of a single crypt into two daughter crypts. The ratio of crypt fission to total number of crypts was the highest at PND 14 and 7 in the jejunum and colon, respectively. Crypt fission, a key phenomenon for balance or imbalance in epithelial cell hierarchy, including stem and differentiated cells, is related to tissue injury repair and tumorigenesis. Therefore, examining crypt fission can provide valuable insights into current conditions of intestine.