Changes of Enterocyte Morphology and Enterocyte: Goblet Cell Ratios in Dogs with Protein-Losing and Non-Protein-Losing Chronic Enteropathies

This study aimed to assess the morphometry of enterocytes as well as the goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in different intestinal segments of dogs with chronic enteropathies (CE). Histopathological intestinal samples from 97 dogs were included in the study (19 healthy juveniles, 21 healthy adults, 24 dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), and 33 CE dogs without PLE). Healthy adult small intestinal enterocytes showed progressively reduced epithelial cell height in the aboral direction, while juvenile dogs showed progressively increased epithelial cell height in the aboral direction. CE dogs had increased epithelial cell height in the duodenum, while PLE dogs had decreased epithelial cell heights compared to healthy adult dogs. Both the CE and PLE dogs showed decreased enterocyte width in the duodenal segment, and the ileal and colonic enterocytes of CE dogs were narrower than those of healthy adult dogs. CE dogs had a lower goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in the colon segment compared to healthy dogs. This study provides valuable morphometric information on enterocytes during canine chronic enteropathies, highlighting significant morphological enterocyte alterations, particularly in the small intestine, as well as a reduced goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in the colon of CE cases compared to healthy adult dogs.