Table III.

Systematic comparisons between WT and VIP^−/− animals at the levels of small and large intestine. Parameters were determined from histological sections (See Fig. 1B). Du = duodenum, D = distal duodenum, IL = ileum, PC = proximal colon, C = middle colon, DC = distal colon, PJ = proximal jejunum, J = middle jejunum and DJ = distal jejunum. Data were expressed as mean, calculated from 4 to 13 individuals per group (4 measurements/section; 4 sections/animal). P values were determined by Student’s t test (ns: non significant). To determine diameters on cross sections, minimal and maximal widths were determined and averaged.

Small intestine	DU			D			PJ			J			DJ			IL
	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p
Number of animals (n)	5	6		10	6		9	8		4	4		14	12		13	11
Average gut diameter (μm)	1755	2428	<0.0001	1873	2591	0.0005	1801	2292	<0.0001	1639	1848	ns	1711	2555	0.006	1457	1697	ns
villus length (μm)	567	681	0.006	555	639	0.008	498	572	0.0055	445	552	0.02	340	435	0.0003	323	372	0.021
villus width (μm)	94	92	ns	77	88	ns	80	87	ns	79	78	ns	83	87.5	ns	80	81	ns
Mucus-secreting (goblet) cells (cell/villus)	8	9	ns	5	8	ns	7	17	0.0002	7	12	0.024	6	17	<0,0001	8	17	0.0001
Mucus vacuole diameter (μm)	7.8	9.8	0.05	8.3	9.2	ns	9.2	13.5	0.0003	8	11.7	0.0056	9	12.6	0.0001	9	12.4	0.0001
enterocyte length (μm)	25.6	28	ns	25	30	0.008	25	28	0.0055	23.5	27	0.0016	23	24.5	ns	22	25	0.0006
muscularis propria (μm)	35	45	0.048	32	46	0.011	41	74	0.0003	30	60	<0,0001	44.5	97	<0,0001	57	104	<0.0001
inner circular layer (μm)	21.6	28	ns	19	28	0.003	24	46	0.0003	18	39	<0,0001	26	64	<0,0001	33	70	<0.0001
ICL/MP (%)	62	63	ns	58.5	61	ns	58	62.5	0.0274	59.5	65	0.005	58	65	0.0001	58	67	<0.0001
outer longitudinal layer (μm)	13.6	17	ns	13	18	0.056	18	27.5	0.0152	11.5	21.5	<0,0001	19	34	<0,0001	23	34	0.03
OLL/MP (%)	36	38	ns	40.5	39	ns	41	37	0.0464	39	35	0.0017	42	35	<0,0001	41	33	<0.0001
Colon	PC			C			DC
	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p	WT	KO VIP	p
Number of animals (n)	9	5		4	4		4	4
Average colon diameter (μm)	1699	1878	ns	1495	1626	ns	1527	1597	ns
macrovillus height (μm)	552	571	ns	488	510	ns	504	531	ns
mavrovillus widht (μm)	379	394	ns	329	378	0.05	389	409	ns
Microvillus height (μm)	209	219	ns	178	211	0.003	177	191	ns
Microvillus width (μm)	54	54	ns	47	54	0.05	50	54	ns
Enterocyte height (μm)	27	29	ns	23	28	0.0037	28	30	ns
muscularis propria (μm)	123	147	0.0047	100	105	ns	108	116	ns
inner circular layer (μm)	97.5	115	0.04	78.5	82	ns	77	82	ns
ICL/MP (%)	79	78	ns	77	78	ns	71	71	ns
outer longitudinal layer (μm)	24	27	ns	16	22	ns	31	34	ns
OLL/MP (%)	20	21	ns	23	22	ns	29	29	ns