The paper presents the author's experiments performed for examining the morphological adaptation in the intestinal loop, preserved for the food passage after jejunoileostomy for extreme obesity. Macro-, micro-, and ultramicroscopic examinations were carried out in 20 patients. A characteristic elongation and hypertrophy of the active intestinal loop, thickening of its wall (especially mucosa), hypertrophy and elongation of the intestinal villi as well as reduction of the mucous cells could be observed. The enzymatic activity of the mucous membrane could be found to be increased in the active part of the jejunum too. In the author's opinion the observed changes clearly demonstrate the transient character of those metabolic disturbances which develop after producing the artificial short gut syndrome.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1983

Increase of mucosal mast cells in the jejunum of patients infected with Trichinella spiralis.

The mast cell response in the mucosa and connective tissue of 36 jejunal biopsies of patients with clinically diagnosed trichinellosis, teniasis and lambliasis has been studied. Biopsy material was fixed in standard formalin or Carnoy's fixative, enabling differentiation between mucosal mast cells (MMC) and connective tissue mast cells (CTMC). With both fixatives CTMC could equally well be recognized. With Carnoy's fixative an additional population of mast cells (MMC) could be visualized both in the mucosa and the connective tissue. In the mucosa small mucosal mast cells were observed as well. Compared to the numbers of mast cells in the mucosa and the connective tissue of teniasis and lambliasis patients, the number of mast cells in trichinellosis patients only visualized using Carnoy's fixative was markedly higher. It was concluded that also in man trichinellosis is accompanied by an increase of cells with MMC characteristics. Further studies are needed to clarify the morphological and histochemical features of these cells and their possible role in this parasitic infection.

Biopsy↗

PubMed1982

Effect of fixation on the light microscopical visualization of mast cells in the mucosa and connective tissue of the human duodenum.

Mast cells have been studied in the mucosa and connective tissue of 28 biopsies of human duodenum. They were collected from individuals who for various reasons had to undergo upper intestinal endoscopy. Tissues were fixed in both standard formalin and a formalin-acetic acid (FA) fixative developed for visualization of mucosal mast cells. With both fixatives connective tissue mast cells (CTMC) were equally well recognized. Only with the FA fixative, an additional population of mast cells was observed both in the mucosa and the connective tissue. The population consisted of round cells, always smaller than CTMC, with a number of granules staining violet with toluidine blue. These mast cells comprised two cell types, differing in size, the larger being present in both the mucosa and the connective tissue, the smaller ones in a subepithelial position in the crypts of Lieberkühn and in the adjacent submucosa. It was suggested that this first mentioned additional population was similar to the mucosal mast cells (MMC) observed in rats and mice. The subepithelially located metachromatic cells differed in morphology from the globule leukocytes found in rats and mice. It was concluded that in the human duodenum a population of cells with MMC staining characteristics is present, which can only be visualized under special fixation conditions. Their further characterization and role in various disease conditions remains to be elucidated.

Acetates↗

PubMed1980