An investigation into the reversibility of the morphological and cytokinetic changes seen in the small intestine of riboflavin deficient rats.

Abstract

Impaired iron handling in riboflavin deficiency is thought to be partially a result of significant morphological and cytokinetic changes within the small intestine. The aim of the study was to find out if the responses of the rat small intestine to riboflavin deficiency induced at weaning could be reversed upon repletion. 48 female weanling Wistar rats were used for the purpose of the study. Rats were fed a riboflavin deficient diet or a complete control diet for a period of five weeks followed by a repletion period of up to three weeks. Rats were killed on day 0, 2, 7, or 21 of repletion. The duodenum was removed and fixed for subsequent analysis. Five weeks of riboflavin deficiency significantly changed the morphology and cytokinetics of the duodenum; the changes were not reversed within the 21 day repletion period despite biochemical evidence for a correction of the deficiency. The results show that the small intestine cannot readily recover from a period of riboflavin deficiency induced at weaning, supporting the notion that the weaning period is a critical time for gastrointestinal development and highlighting the importance of adequate nutrition during infancy.