Impact of some dietary patterns on the glandular system of the large-intestine walls

Abstract

Dietary patterns influence the morphology of the digestive organs and the functional anatomy of the glandular system in the wails of internal organs, as has been established in animal experiments and discussed in the literature in the light of comparative theriological data. In carnivorous mammals the initial portion of the digestive tract is abundantly supplied with glands located within its walls [4]. Herbivorous animals, on the other hand, have a greatly enlarged stomach and, especially, an increased size of the large bowel, which consists of (several divisions [6]. As the size of this part of the digestive tract increases, so does the number of mucosal glands whose endocrine activity is essential for the digestion of carbohydrate- and fiberrich foods. As has been found experimentally, force-feeding of rats with fiber-rich plant foods leads to greater numbers and size of the duodenal (Brurmer's) glands, expansion of the area occupied by them in the duodenal walls, and enhanced secretory activity of these glands [9]. Experimental animal data are often extrapolated to modem man, though not always justifiably so: most mammals consume more specialized diets than do people today, who are omnivorous and whose ancestors were never exclusively carnivorous. Yet many of the structural features of the digestive tract demonstrated by theriologists and experimental biologists have been shown to be shared by man. The objectives of this study were to compare large-intestine glands of persons who had been