Development of villous damage in mouse small intestine after local hyperthermia or irradiation

Damage to mouse small intestine has been assessed in the period up to twenty-four hours after heating a portion of the gut for 20 min at 43 degrees C and also in the period up to nine days after 10 Gy/whole body X-irradiation. The surface changes and the light microscopic appearances after the two types of treatment were described. The damage was evaluated using scores produced by assessing villous collapse as seen with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Maximum damage was seen two hours after hyperthermia and was more pronounced in antimesenteric portions of the same specimen. Maximum damage was observed three days after X-irradiation. Despite the difference in the time scale and severity of development of surface changes after the two types of treatment, the structure of the damaged and recovering villi looked similar, except for the apical extrusion of the enterocytes immediately following the heat treatment.