Quantitative light and electron microscopical studies of the effect of vagotomy on parietal cells in rats

As early as 3 days after truncal vagotomy, a decrease in the number of parietal cells per gland and the length of fundic glands of the stomach was observed in young Wistar rats. A decrease in the size of cells and the number of mitochondria per cell was also evident in the remaining parietal cells. These atrophic changes lasted nearly one month after the operation. A decrease in the cellular size and mitochondrial number in parietal cells was noted again in the rats sacrificed 12 months after the operation. Since the similar changes were also seen in the age-matched controls, the changes in older rats were interpreted as an aging phenomenon.