Evaluation of the Number of Goblet Cells in Crypt of Colonic Mucosa Submitted to Experimental Gastric Restriction

Abstract

Obesity‐related comorbidity is defined as a condition caused by overweight/obesity or known to contribute to the presence or severity of the condition. These comorbid conditions are expected to improve or go into remission in the presence of effective and sustained weight loss. However, the mechanisms of surgical weight loss and the long‐term consequences of bariatric surgery remain unclear. World Health Organization reports obesity as a rising chronic condition with many devastating health consequences. Gastric reduction procedures are currently employed to treat morbid obesity and there are few reports concerning the consequent effects in large intestine.MethodsExperimental model of gastric restriction was devised using rats. The animals were submitted to surgical gastrostomy and a cylindrical loofah was inserted into the stomach. We studied 30 adult male Wistar rats divided in three groups: the stomach reduction group (R20), the sham group (SH20), which underwent the same procedure except for the loofah insertion and the control group (C20). Animals were fed and kept in separate cages. Two colon samples were collected 2 cm from the cecum and were individually packed into containers. Samples were submitted to routine histological processing for Alcian Blue, Periodic Acid and Reagent of Schiff (PAS) and High Iron Diamine (HID AB). The sections were analyzed for the length of the crypts and mucous cells. Goblet cells were obtained in all groups as mean, median, minimum, and maximum and were compared between groups using generalized estimation equations (GEE) with normal distribution and identity link function supposing exchangeable correlation matrix between fields. Bonferroni's multiple comparison was applied to identify differences between groups. The results are described by the mean value with respective standard deviation.ResultsThe analysis of PAS and AB Goblet cells count on R20 group indicated a statistically significant reduction and no shallower crypts as compared to the C20. The sialomucins and sulphomucins number cells were found with no enhance. There was not difference regarding on R20 compared to C20 and SH20.ConclusionThese findings might be a result of colonic mucosae atrophy secondary to the effects of gastric restriction in this model. Restriction decreases the content of neutral mucins and total acidic mucins, without interfering with the sulfomucin and sialomucin acid mucin subtypes.