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Pre‐ulcerative villous contraction and microvascular induced by indomethacin in the rat jejunum: a detailed morphological study
Author(s) -
ANTHONY A.,
DHILLON A. P.,
THRASIVOULOU C.,
POUNDER R. E.,
WAKEFIELD A. J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.1995.tb00429.x
Subject(s) - pathology , intravital microscopy , jejunum , medicine , histology , contraction (grammar) , confocal microscopy , perfusion , scanning electron microscope , epithelium , intestinal mucosa , anatomy , chemistry , microcirculation , biology , materials science , microbiology and biotechnology , composite material
SUMMARY Background : In indomethacin‐induced jejunal ulceration in the rat, villi undergo both early microvascular injury and shortening that may involve activation of villous smooth muscle. Aim : This study sought to substantiate light microscopic observations using three‐dimensional imaging of early villous architectural changes in response to indomethacin. Methods : At both 2 and 6 h after oral indomethacin 15 mg/kg or vehicle to groups of rats, the vasculature of the small intestine was visualised by both carbon‐ink perfusion/confocal microscopy and injection casting. The mucosa was also examined for lesions by dissection microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results : In indomethacin‐dosed rats examined by scanning electron microscopy and histology, the mucosa at 2 h showed villous shortening and wrinkling of the surface epithelium without epithelial loss: at 6 h, the mucosa was flattened, often with epithelial loss to expose a ‘contracted’ villous core. Examination of the vasculature in carbon‐injected tissues indicated significant reductions of both mucosal height and inter‐capillary distance at both 2 and 6 h post‐indomethacin. Scanning electron microscopy of injection casts at 2 and 6 h indicated similar changes. These changes were not seen in control tissues. Conclusion : Histology, confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy support the proposal that villous shortening with disruption of surface capillary architecture are early changes in the ulcerative enteropathy induced by nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs.