Effect of Partial Intestinal Resection on Digestion and Utilization of Food

Resection of 54 cm of the intestine produced no significant defect either in food intake or body weight of the rat irrespective of the site of resection, although an insignificant decrease of food intake with loss of body weight was noted in the first postoperative week. The intestine of the rat lengthened with development in the control rat and in addition of an added requirement in rats with resection with or without hyperphagia. The adiposity of the hyperhagic rat, regarless of the intestinal length was approximately equal in all hypothalamicpreparations but their body water content was much altered. When the fat weight was deducted, however, the water compartment became constant. It is thus justifiable to assume that resection of the intestine itself exerts no adverse effect on general digestion and food utilization in normal rats excepting a slight initial disturbance due to surgery and on adiposity in hyperphagic rats, the intestine lengthening being the result of development and also of the additional physiological requirement of the animal.