Changes in gastric glandular cell kinetics after small bowel resection in the rat

The proliferation of gastric mucosal cells was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats after a 50% resection involving the proximal small intestine. Two months after the operation, resected and control animals were given either a single or four successive intraperitoneal injections of 1 muCi of [3H]thymidine per g of body weight. Animals from each group were killed 1 hr after the single injection and 3, 7, 30, and 60 days after the first multiple dose injection [3H]thymidine. The number of labeled parietal, chief, and mucous cells of the gastric glands were measured. At the 3-, 30-, and 60-day periods, the percentages of labeled parietal and chief cells were significantly increased in animals with small bowel resection when compared with corresponding controls. The percentages of labeled mucous cells of the gastric glands were also increased in animals with small bowel resection at the 3- and 7-day periods. One hour after a single injection of [3H]thymidine, the percentage of labeled gastric mucosal progenitor cells in animals with small bowel resection, although increased, was not significantly different from that in controls. It is, therefore, believed that the increases in percentage labeling of gastric glandular epithelial cells at 3, 7, 30, and 60 days could not solely be explained on the basis of an increased turnover rate of gastric progenitor cells. Rather, it might be concluded that the increase in glandular epithelial cells is accomplished, in part, by increased differentiation of gastric progenitor cells.