Transition between columnar absorptive cells and goblet cells in the rat jejunal epithelium

Electron microscopic observation of the jejunal epithelium of rats demonstrated morphological evidence of a transition between columnar absorptive cells and growing goblet cells. The columnar cells in both the villi and crypts have features suggestive of absorptive functions. They are provided with apical invaginations continuous to the intermicrovillous space. Absorbed lipid is observed in small vesicles in the terminal web layer, and chylomicrons derived here from are contained in large vacuoles near the Golgi apparatus. Ferritin particles artificially infused into the gut lumen were absorbed into the vacuoles in the subapical zone of columnar cells of suckling rats. Growing goblet cells situated in the crypt epithelium contain surface invaginations and lysosomes which are the same in structure as those found in absorptive cells nearby. Fat droplets evidently absorbed by the growing goblet cell were observed among immature mucus droplets. Artificially infused ferritin particles were found in vacuoles and lysosomes near the Golgi apparatus of some goblet cells of suckling rats. Some goblet cells on the intestinal villi of suckling rats looked immature and their microvilli and cytoplasmic matrix were clear like those of columnar absorptive cells. The transition between these goblet cells with clear cytoplasm and the mature goblet cells with dark cytoplasm was observed. These morphological evidences indicate that some of columnar cells already differentiated to absorptive cells are capable of transforming into mucus-producing (goblet) cells. It is suggested that not only undifferentiated columnar cells in the crypt base but also considerably differentiated columnar cells with absorptive function can differentiate into goblet cells.