Table 2.
The morphology of small intestine of neonatal piglets.1
| Item | Day after birth |
P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 d | 7 d | ||
| Duodenum | |||
| Villus height, μm | 510.20 ± 31.31 | 476.93 ± 24.98 | 0.417 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 105.90 ± 6.32 | 182.18 ± 8.68 | <0.001 |
| Villus width, μm | 67.75 ± 2.58 | 109.55 ± 3.91 | <0.001 |
| VH:CD3, μm:μm | 4.99 ± 0.35 | 2.80 ± 0.22 | <0.001 |
| Total crypt number2 | 174.69 ± 9.81 | 194.75 ± 3.36 | 0.167 |
| Crypt fission index, % | 23.42 ± 2.16 | 9.21 ± 0.90 | <0.001 |
| Jejunum | |||
| Villus height, μm | 690.66 ± 32.11 | 453.09 ± 35.03 | <0.001 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 79.07 ± 2.03 | 151.83 ± 7.62 | <0.001 |
| Villus width, μm | 80.92 ± 2.43 | 91.45 ± 3.65 | 0.048 |
| VH:CD, μm:μm | 8.74 ± 0.34 | 3.11 ± 0.32 | <0.001 |
| Total crypt number | 166.50 ± 6.82 | 170.31 ± 4.86 | 0.646 |
| Crypt fission index, % | 8.20 ± 0.55 | 3.99 ± 0.50 | <0.001 |
| Ileum | |||
| Villus height, μm | 507.18 ± 38.12 | 529.50 ± 52.30 | 0.732 |
| Crypt depth, μm | 90.90 ± 6.05 | 215.46 ± 19.77 | <0.001 |
| Villus width, μm | 81.89 ± 5.52 | 107.93 ± 4.95 | 0.002 |
| VH:CD, μm:μm | 5.88 ± 0.53 | 2.95 ± 0.48 | <0.001 |
| Total crypt number | 148.36 ± 10.86 | 194.65 ± 3.35 | <0.001 |
| Crypt fission index, % | 1.80 ± 0.19 | 1.39 ± 0.19 | 0.121 |
1
The values are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 18). Differences were assessed by the Student's t-test. Values of P < 0.05 are referred to as statistically significant.
2
The number of crypts per circumference was counted on intact transverse sections according to Dehmer et al. (2011).
3
VH:CD = the ratio of villus height to crypt depth.