Table 3.
Colon histomorphometrics following the 3-week consumption of experimental diets.
| Colonic Measurement | BD | PD | 5% LD | 10% LD | 20% LD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colon weight [mg] | 22.9 ± 1.1 | 23.0 ± 1.0 | 21.0 ± 1.3 | 23.5 ± 0.9 | 25.0 ± 1.0 |
| Colon length [mm] | 75.0 ± 1.7 | 77.0 ± 1.4 | 73.6 ± 1.9 | 76.2 ± 1.4 | 76.6 ± 1.5 |
| Proximal crypt length [µm] | 173.1 ± 1.9 | 159.2 ± 10.9 | 175.7 ± 4.2 | 177.2 ± 8.9 | 176.5 ± 4.7 |
| Distal crypt length [µm] | 160.2 ± 3.3 | 156.5 ± 5.7 | 148.7 ± 3.8 | 149.7 ± 3.4 | 151.9 ± 2.8 |
| Proximal goblet cell # | 21.1 ± 0.7 | 18.5 ± 1.3 | 19.7 ± 1.0 | 22.4 ± 1.0 | 21.3 ± 0.5 |
| Distal goblet cell # | 7.0 ± 0.3 | 6.6 ± 0.3 | 6.9 ± 0.2 | 6.5 ± 0.2 | 6.9 ± 0.2 |
| Mucus layer thickness [µm] | 24.9 ± 2.7 | 24.8 ± 2.0 | 29.4 ± 4.2 | 33.5 ± 5.1 | 36.2 ± 4.7 |
| Mucin content [AB intensity/µm2] | 0.43 ± 0.03 | 0.45 ± 0.03 | 0.41 ± 0.02 | 0.45 ± 0.03 | 0.45 ± 0.03 |
| Proliferation index | 7.6 ± 0.4 | 9.1 ± 0.9 | 11.8 ± 1.3 | 10.7 ± 1.3 | 9.6 ± 0.8 |
Values are means (SEM). The average crypt length was assessed by measuring 15–20 crypts/mouse/location; the number of goblet cells/crypt was assessed by counting goblet cells in 10–15 crypts/mouse/location; mucus layer thickness was measured in the proximal colon with a minimum of 40 measures/mouse; AB-stained colon cross sections were analyzed for colon crypt mucus content. AB = Alcian blue; BD = basal diet; LD = lentil diet; PD = pectin diet.