Compensatory changes in villus morphology of lactating Mus musculus in response to insufficient dietary protein [SHORT COMMUNICATION]

We examined how intestinal size responds to insufficient dietary protein at the microscopic level. Villi, enterocytes, and surface area were measured across the length of the small intestine in non-reproductive and lactating Mus musculus fed isocaloric control or protein-deficient diets. Lactating mice on the protein-deficient diet exhibited a 24% increase in villus height and a 30% increase in enterocyte width in the proximal small intestine and an overall similar increase in surface area; on the control diet changes in villus height were localized in the mid region. Flexibility localized to the proximal small intestine suggests that enterokinase, a localized enzyme, may be a candidate enzyme that could promote compensation for a protein-deficient diet. Such flexibility could allow species to persist in the face of anthropogenically-induced changing dietary profiles.
Source: Journal of Experimental Biology - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: SHORT COMMUNICATION Source Type: research