Ultrastructural alterations of the rat intestinal epithelium fed with polymeric, oligopeptidic or elementary full diet, following starvation.

In this study the ultrastructure of rat jejunal epithelial cells was examined, following a starvation period of 72 hours and an enteral refeeding period of 12 days, with either Nutrison, Pepti 2000, or Nutri 2000. Most changes occurred in the animals examined immediately after the 72-hour starvation period; these mainly included a significant decrease in microvilli population, occasional cell membrane disintegration, and a usual microvesicular appearance and degranulation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. No alterations were found in the normally-fed animals (control group). This was also practically the same for the Pepti 2000 group. In the Nutrison group, a small amount of changes were found, while in the Nutri 2000 group many alterations were detected, which nevertheless were fewer than in the starved animals. The results demonstrate that the micromorphological alterations of the intestinal epithelium caused by starvation improve faster when an oligopeptidic formula is provided, which consequently results in faster and better absorption of the nutrients.