Small Intestine Of Piglets Research Articles

Crypt fission contributes to postnatal epithelial growth of the small intestine in pigs

Studies on growth of the small intestine have mostly concentrated on crypt hyperplasia rather than crypt fission (CF). The process of crypt bifurcation has been identified in rodents and humans but not in swine. The main aims of this study were: 1) to investigate quantitatively crypt fission in the small intestine mucosa of pigs of different age-groups and 2) to assess the effect of colostrum and milk on small intestine growth via CF. Five groups of piglets were studied: non-suckling piglets, euthanized just after delivery (C0) suckling piglets, euthanized 24 h after delivery (C1) and then piglets that were euthanized at 7, 28 and 180 days of life (C7, C28, C180 respectively). Samples of duodenum, jejunum (proximal, middle and distal) and ileum were taken for the evaluation of the percentage of bifid crypts. Our results show that the 24 h suckling period has no effect on the percentage of bifid crypts compared to the non-suckling, newborn piglets (C0). Moreover, we observed that the rate of bifid crypts depends predominantly on the age of the piglets and the part of intestine examined and less on the feed components. The highest CF is observed during the first 28 days of life and then declines significantly at day 180. In duodenum and proximal jejunum there were no significant changes between groups of piglets in age till 28 days of life whereas in further parts we observed a decrease of bifid crypts comparing C0 and C1 with C7. In conclusion, our data shows that CF contributes to epithelial growth of the small intestine in piglets. The peak of bifid crypts was observed during suckling, thus CF can be described as a marker for intestinal growth during the early postnatal period.

Intrauterine growth restriction reduces intestinal structure and modifies the response to colostrum in preterm and term piglets

We investigated some consequences of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on weight and structural and functional parameters of the intestine at birth and after 2 days of colostrum feeding. IUGR altered intestinal morphology, leading to a longer and thinner small intestine in piglets born both preterm and at full term, together with reduced villous size in term IUGR piglets. Preterm IUGR piglets displayed an improved ability to adapt to colostrum intake by rapid intestinal catch-up growth, relative to other groups of pigs. In contrast, intestinal nutrient absorption surface was impaired by IUGR during the first days of life in term piglets. The postnatal effects of IUGR may have long term consequences for developing piglets, and these effects may depend on gestational age at birth, preterm or term.

A Mouse Model Study for the Villous Atrophy of the Early Weaning Piglets

Early weaning induces villous atrophy in the small intestine of piglets. We evaluated an influence of early weaning at 16 days old in mice for the use of villous atrophy model observed in early-weaned piglets. Five pregnant BALB/c mice were obtained and half of pups were weaned at 16 days old (early-weaned), while the others were allowed to suckle. Their small intestine was collected at 17, 18 and 19 days old in each group. Villous was shorting at 17 and 18 days old, but obscured at 19 days old. The gene expressions of epidermal and platelet-derived growth factor were associated with the villous height. Early weaning induced villous atrophy in the mouse small intestine as well as the piglets.

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and ontogenetic expression of sodium proton exchanger isoform 2 (NHE-2) mRNA in the small intestine of pigs

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and ontogenetic regulation of sodium/proton exchanger isoform 2 (NHE-2) mRNA expression were evaluated in the pig small intestine during postnatal development. The 2872-bp porcine full cDNA sequence of the NHE-2 (EF672046) cloned in this study showed 80% and 70% homology with known human and mouse gene sequence, respectively. Hydrophobic prediction suggests 13 putative membrane-spanning domains within porcine NHE-2. The porcine NHE-2 mRNA was detected in the brain, liver, kidney, heart, lung, small intestine and muscle. The small intestine had the highest NHE-2 mRNA abundance and the brain, lung and liver had the lowest NHE-2 mRNA abundance (P < 0.05). Along the longitudinal axis, the duodenum had the highest NHE-2 mRNA abundance and the ileum and colon had the lowest NHE-2 mRNA abundance (P < 0.05). The NHE-2 mRNA level was increased from day 1 to day 26 in the duodenum (P < 0.05) and dropped dramatically on day 30 (P < 0.05). There is no difference between day 1 and day 7 (P > 0.05). After day 30, the NHE-2 mRNA level remained the same except on day 90 (P > 0.05). The mRNA expression of NHE-2 was not only differentially regulated by age but also differentially distributed along the small intestine of piglets at early stages and growing stages of life, which may contribute to changes in NHE activity.

Net fluid and electrolyte losses in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infected piglet small intestine upon perfusion with fumaric acid, zinc oxide, egg yolk antibodies or carbadox

Intestinal segments (10 per piglet) prepared in four anesthetized piglets were used to evaluate the effects of anti-diarrhea agents on net fluid and electrolyte losses and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations upon infection with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Pairs of segments (non-infected and ETEC-infected) were perfused with either saline, fumaric acid (FA), zinc oxide (ZnO), egg yolk antibodies against K88 fimbriae (EYA) or carbadox (AB) during a 7.5-h period. Segments perfused with saline had higher (P &lt; 0.05) net fluid and electrolyte losses compared to segments perfused with anti-diarrhea agents whilst FA showed higher fluid losses compared to other anti-diarrhea agents. Key words: Anti-diarrhea agents, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, piglets

Gene Expression Is Altered in Piglet Small Intestine by Weaning and Dietary Glutamine Supplementation 3

Dietary supplementation of glutamine prevents intestinal dysfunction and atrophy in weanling piglets, but the underlying mechanism(s) are largely unknown. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that weaning or glutamine may modulate expression of genes that are crucial for intestinal metabolism and function. In Expt. 1, we obtained small intestine from 28-d-old pigs weaned at 21 d of age and from age-matched suckling piglets. In Expt. 2, piglets were weaned at 21 d of age and then had free access to diets supplemented with 1% L-glutamine (wt:wt) or isonitrogenous L-alanine (control). At d 28, we collected small intestine for biochemical and morphological measurements and microarray analysis of gene expression using the Operon Porcine Genome Oligo set. Early weaning resulted in increased (52–346%) expression of genes related to oxidative stress and immune activation but decreased (35–77%) expression of genes related to macronutrient metabolism and cell proliferation in the gut. Dietary glutamine supplementation increased intestinal expression (120–124%) of genes that are necessary for cell growth and removal of oxidants, while reducing (34–75%) expression of genes that promote oxidative stress and immune activation. Functionally, the glutamine treatment enhanced intestinal oxidative-defense capacity (indicated by a 29% increase in glutathione concentration), prevented jejunal atrophy, and promoted small intestine growth (+12%) and body weight gain (+19%) in weaned piglets. These findings reveal coordinate alterations of gene expression in response to weaning and aid in providing molecular mechanisms for the beneficial effect of dietary glutamine supplementation to improve nutrition status in young mammals.

Molecular Cloning, Tissue Distribution and Ontogenetic Expression of Sodium Proton Exchanger (NHE2) mRNA in the Small Intestine of Pigs

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and ontogenetic regulation of sodium/proton exchanger isoform 2 (NHE2) mRNA expression were evaluated in the pig small intestine during postnatal development. The 2872‐bp porcine full cDNA sequence of the NHE2 (EF672046) cloned in this study showed 80% and 70% homology with known human and mouse gene sequence, respectively. Hydrophobic prediction suggests 13 putative membrane‐spanning domains within porcine NHE2. The porcine NHE2 mRNA was detected in brain, liver, kidney, heart, lung, small intestine and muscle. The small intestine had the highest NHE2 mRNA abundance and the brain, lung and liver had the lowest NHE2 mRNA abundance (P &lt; 0.05). Along the longitudinal axis, the duodenum had the highest NHE2 mRNA abundance and the ileum and colon had the lowest NHE2 mRNA abundance (P &lt; 0.05). The NHE2 mRNA level was increased from the day 1 to day 26 in the duodenum (P &lt; 0.05) and dropped dramatically on day 30 (P &lt; 0.05). There is no difference between day 1 and day 7 (P &gt; 0.05). After day 30, the NHE2 mRNA level stayed at the same except on day 90 (P &gt; 0.05). The mRNA expression of NHE2 was not only differentially regulated by age but also differentially distributed along the small intestine of piglets at early stages and growing stages of life, which may contribute to changes in NHE activity.

Molecular cloning, distribution and developmental regulation of porcine GLUT2 mRNA in small intestine

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and developmental regulation of porcine GLUT2 (glucose transporter 2) mRNA were conducted in small intestine. GLUT2 cDNA is 2051 bp long, the predicted amino acid sequence revealed that it is highly conserved among vertebrate species. Animal tissue samples were collected from 35 pigs at different developmental stages: sucking (day 1, 7 and 26), postweaning (day 30) and growing (day 60, 90 and 150). The results showed that GLUT2 mRNA was detected at highest level in porcine liver, at moderate levels in the small intestine, kidney, and at low levels in the brain, lung, muscle and heart. In the small intestine, the highest level is in the jejunum. After weaning, the three small intestinal sements took on a similar pattern, GLUT2 mRNA increased through post‐weaning (d30, 2 days post‐weaning) and peaked in growing period (d90), and then decreased in finishing period (d150). In conclusion, the mRNA expression of GLUT2 was not only differentially regulated by age but also differentially distributed along the small intestine of piglets at different stages, which may be related to intestinal luminal substrate concentrations. This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Project No: 2004CB117501) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No: 30671529).

Impact of porcine group A rotavirus co-infection on porcine epidemic diarrhea virus pathogenicity in piglets

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine group A rotavirus (PGAR) are the main causative agents of acute diarrhea in piglets. In South Korea, PGAR is prevalent in piglets naturally infected with PEDV. Piglets naturally co-infected with PEDV and PGAR appeared to have severe and prolonged diarrhea that was distinct from that commonly observed. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of PGAR co-infection on PEDV pathogenicity in piglets. Thirty-six colostrum-deprived, one-day old, Large White-Duroc crossbred pigs were randomly divided into four equal groups: PEDV, PEDV/PGAR, PGAR, and control groups. The piglets were euthanized at 1, 2, or 3 days post-inoculation (DPI) to measure the villous height:crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio and to collect fecal samples for RT-PCR and virus isolation. No significant differences in mean VH:CD ratio and clinical symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and anorexia) were observed between the PEDV/PGAR-infected and PEDV-infected groups of piglets at 1, 2 and 3 DPI; however, at 2 and 3 DPI, PGAR was detected in all fecal samples by RT-PCR and virus isolation. These findings failed to detect any interaction between PEDV and porcine rotavirus in the small intestines of piglets, suggesting that concurrent infection of PGAR may not synergistically enhance intestinal villous atrophy of piglets with PEDV disease. We propose that the severe diarrhea exhibited in PEDV and PGAR co-infected piglets may be more associated with the immunity level of the host rather than to any synergistic effect of PGAR on PEDV enteritis.

A high molecular weight soluble fraction of tempeh protects against fluid losses in Escherichia coli-infected piglet small intestine

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is an important cause of diarrhoea in children and piglets. Infection of ETEC results in fluid secretion and electrolyte losses in the small intestine. In this study the effects of tempeh, a traditional fungal fermented soybean product, on fluid losses induced by ETEC infection in piglets was investigated. Pairs of ETEC-infected and non-infected small intestinal segments of piglets were perfused simultaneously for 8 h with pre-digested tempeh, its supernatant and saline as an internal control. In saline perfused segments, ETEC infection reduced net fluid absorption by more than 500 microl/cm2, whereas this reduction was significantly less for pre-digested tempeh and its supernatant (75 and 282 microl/cm2, respectively). The supernatant of pre-digested tempeh was also compared with its permeate and retentate fractions. These fractions were created by ultra-filtration and contained respectively low and high molecular weight (>5 kDa) compounds. Again ETEC infection caused a significant reduction of net fluid absorption when perfused with saline (386 microl/cm2) and also with the permeate fraction (300 microl/cm2), but much less with the supernatant and the retentate fraction (125 and 140 microl/cm2, respectively). The reduction in net fluid absorption upon ETEC infection when perfused with supernatant of either undigested or pre-digested tempeh was not different. Therefore from this study it can be concluded that a high molecular weight soluble fraction of tempeh is able to protect against fluid losses induced by ETEC, suggesting that this could play a potential role in controlling ETEC-induced diarrhoea.

Sites of phytase and xylanase activities in the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens

Because digesta vary in pH in different gastrointestinal segments of poultry, exogenous phytase or xylanase may exhibit differences in activity along the gastrointestinal tract. Previous reports indicated that the stomach is the major site of exogenous microbial phytase activity, with no further activity found in the small intestine of piglets. Information regarding exogenous phytase or xylanase activity in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry is largely unavailable. Because exogenous phytase or xylanase activity in the digesta is extremely low, normal phytase or xylanase activity measurements are prone to errors resulting from background interference contributed by the exogenous inorganic phosphate or xylose in the digesta (Walsh et al., 1995). The aim of this study was to utilize electrophoresis activity stain to detect the activity of phytase or xylanase in different gastrointestinal segments of broiler chickens fed diets containing exogenous enzymes.

The early postnatal pattern of vesicle formation in different regions of the porcine small intestine

In the early postnatal period, the permeability of the piglet small intestine is high to compensate for the absence of trans-placental transfer of immunoglobulins during the fetal period. Vesicles, which mainly reflect the uptake of macromolecules and other colostral/milk components, were studied in three different regions of the small intestine – proximal, mid and distal – in a total of twelve piglets on day 0 (unsuckled and colostrums-fed), 2 and 6 (all suckled). Tissues were sampled and prepared for light microscopy (paraffin and cryo) and trans-electron microscopy. Different methods were applied to visualize cytoplasmatic subcellular components such as fat (Oil red O) and carbohydrates (PAS). Appearance and morphology of the epithelial vesicles were compared. In the proximal region several small supranuclear and a single large subnuclear electron dense, eosinophilic and PAS+ vesicle were present. They disappeared after 2 days (gut closure) and on day 6 adult-looking epithelial cells were present. In the distal region of day 0 pigs digestion vesicles/flocculent vesicles were observed in the cytoplasma. The vesicles appeared empty but with eosinophilic, PAS+ and electron dense precipitations. The size and variation of these vesicles increased with age. Fat absorption increased markedly from day 2 to day 6. The observations indicate that in general colostral absorption processes are initiated prenatally, persist after birth and in the distal region also after gut closure. Fat absorption increased after gut closure, and in the distal region the increase correlated with e.g. IgG absorption.

Effect of processed and fermented soyabeans on net absorption in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-infected piglet small intestine

Infectious diarrhoea is a major problem in both children and piglets. Infection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) results in fluid secretion and electrolyte losses in the small intestine. In the present study the effect of processed and fermented soyabean products on net absorption during ETEC infection was investigated. Soyabean was processed into an autoclaved, a cooked and a mould-fermented (tempeh) product. The soyabean products were pre-digested and the effect of the products on net absorption in the small intestine of piglets was studied. Pairs of small-intestinal segments, one non-infected and the other ETEC-infected, were perfused simultaneously with the different products during 8 h. Net absorption of fluid, DM, Na, chloride, K and total solutes was determined. Net fluid absorption was highest for cooked soyabean followed by autoclaved soyabean and tempeh as a result of the osmolality of these products. In ETEC-infected segments, cooked soyabean and tempeh showed minor fluid losses (27 (SE 23) and 43 (SE 20) microl/cm(2), respectively) compared with the saline control (260 (SE 23) microl/cm(2)). Tempeh resulted in a high uptake of solutes. Processed soyabean products, particularly cooked soyabean and tempeh, are beneficial in maintaining fluid balance during ETEC infection. Additionally, tempeh showed high DM and total solute absorption. Therefore, particularly, tempeh may be beneficial in the case of post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets and possibly in children as well.

Anatomic study of small intestinal vessel in piglet small intestine transplantation

To study the anatomy of the small intestine,and investigate the optimal selection of donors,recipients,and their small intestine vessels in piglet small intestine transplantation. The weight and length of 30 piglets were measured. Angiography and pigments perfusion were used to observe the main vessels of the small intestine,and the length of the small intestine,and the external diameter of the main vessels of the small intestine were measured in vivo and ex vivo. The length of the small intestine was 11.5 times as long as the body length, and its weight accounted for 2.3% of the body weight. The outer diameters of abdominal aorta (AT), mesenteric anterior artery (MAA) and its 5(th)-6(th) branches in vivo and ex vitro were 4.3/4.6mm, 2.5/2.7mm and 1.9/2.2mm respectively. The total number of MAA's branches was 6-8 in general and its 5(th)-6(th) branches were the longest [(20.0 +/- 7.0) mm, (22.0 +/- 8.2) mm]. The outer diameter of mesenterial anterior vein (MAV) was 1-2 mm wider than that of MAA. AT, MAA and its 5(th)-6(th) branches are the preferable vessels for small intestine transplantation. In segmental small intestine transplantation, the length of the small intestine and body weight can be used to primarily select the suitable animals.

The Effect of Complementary Access to Milk Replacer to Piglets on the Activity of Brush Border Enzymes in the Piglet Small Intestine

The activity of brush border enzymes (sucrase, lactase and maltase) in the piglet small intestine was evaluated as well as piglet performance during the weaning period in the present study. There were two treatment groups: Piglets of six litters were fed dry feed plus milk replacer (Group M) and of six litters fed dry pelleted feed (Group C). One piglet from each litter was sacrificed on day 3 before weaning, and day 3, 10 and 17 postweaning, respectively. Providing milk replacer caused an increased piglet live weight at weaning (p<0.001) and until termination of the experiment (p<0.001). A slightly higher (p<0.16) level of protein was measured in the jejunum of group M piglets as compared with group C piglets. Before weaning the activity of lactase was high in the jejunum of group C piglets. The activity of lactase in the jejunum was lowered in the jejunum of group C piglets and in distal jejunum of group M piglets during the postweaning period as compared with pre-weaning period (p<0.05). Lowered activity of lactase in the distal jejunum of piglets was found at day 10 and 17 postweaning, respectively. No treatment differences were found in the activity of lactase in the piglet jejunum. No treatment differences were seen in the activity of maltase and sucrase in the piglet jejunum also. However, weaning caused a higher activity of sucrase in the distal jejunum of group M piglets as compared with pre-weaning period. In conclusion, providing milk replacer to piglets caused an improved growth performance. Feeding milk replacer did not influence the activity of lactase, maltase and sucrase in the jejunum of piglets. Weaning resulted in a markedly lowered activity of lactase, while no dramatic changes in the activity of maltase took place during the period around weaning. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 11 : 1617-1622)

The effect of litter origin upon the structure of the small intestine of piglets at weaning

The purpose of this study was to determine whether litter origin had an effect upon the structure of the small intestine in newly weaned piglets. The gut of the newly weaned piglet undergoes significant structural changes such as a decrease in villus height and an increase in crypt depth following commercial weaning. Litter origin has been shown to influence piglet performance immediately post weaning (Slade and Miller, 1999) and to have a significant influence upon blood metabolite concentrations in the newborn piglet (Ilsley and Miller, 2003). Litter origin therefore may also influence the structure of the small intestine in the piglet, which in turn would affect the experimental sampling strategies used in trials investigating effects on gut structure. This study was carried out to test the null hypothesis that litter origin would not have an effect upon the structure of the small intestine in the newly weaned piglet.

In vitro fermentation of fructo-oligosaccharides and transgalacto-oligosaccharides by adapted and unadapted bacterial populations from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets

An in vitro study was performed to investigate the fermentation of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and transgalacto-oligosaccharides (TOS) by bacteria harvested from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets. In addition, the apparent ileal digestibility of FOS and TOS was measured. Thirty piglets were fed either a semi-synthetic control diet or the control diet supplemented with 40 g FOS or 40 g TOS per kg ( n = 10). After 29 days, the piglets were killed and the gastrointestinal contents collected for the in vitro experiment and chemical analysis. The results demonstrated that bacteria from the stomach were nearly incapable of degrading FOS and TOS, whereas bacteria from the distal small intestine to some extend fermented FOS and TOS. Fermentation of FOS and TOS with bacteria from the stomach and distal small intestine was not affected by the dietary treatment of the piglets. Bacteria from the caecum and mid colon of the piglets showed the highest capacity to degrade FOS and TOS in vitro and the microbiota seemed to adapt to the dietary FOS. Caecal bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet had tendencies to increased production rate of organic acids ( P < 0.1), propionic acid ( P < 0.1) and valeric acid ( P < 0.1) and significantly higher production rate of butyric acid ( P < 0.05) from FOS as compared with bacteria from piglets fed the control and TOS diet. Colonic bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet also had significantly higher production rates of butyric acid ( P < 0.05) and capronic acid ( P < 0.01). In addition, significantly lower molar proportions of acetic acid ( P < 0.05) and propionic acid ( P < 0.05), and a significantly higher molar proportion of capronic acid ( P < 0.05) were observed for colonic bacteria from piglets fed the FOS diet as compared with the control diet. Fermentation of TOS by bacteria from the caecum and mid colon was generally not affected by the dietary treatment of the piglets. It was estimated that the capacity for microbial degradation of the dietary FOS and TOS during passage of the stomach and small intestine of the piglets was approximately a proportion of 0.20 for FOS and 0.16 for TOS. The coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) was 0.57 (range 0.39–0.89) for FOS and 0.56 (range 0.31–0.82) for TOS. In conclusion, a proportion between 0.20 and 0.60 of FOS and TOS are degraded by the microbiota in the small intestine of piglets and the microbiota of the large intestine adapt to the administration of FOS in the feed.

Influence of weaning and effect of post weaning dietary zinc and copper on electrophysiological response to glucose, theophylline and 5-HT in piglet small intestinal mucosa

This study aimed to examine how weaning and how dietary zinc and/or copper fed post weaning may affect the electrophysiological response to glucose and to chloride secretagogues in piglet small intestine in vitro. Study 1 included 54 piglets (six litters of nine piglets). One piglet from every litter was killed 1 day before weaning. The remaining 48 piglets were allocated at weaning (28 d) to four dietary zinc treatments and subsequently killed 1–2, 5–6 or 14–15 days after weaning. Study 2 included 48 piglets (six litters of eight piglets) allocated to four dietary treatments, consisting of high or low dietary zinc with or without high dietary copper. All piglets in study 2 were killed 5–7 days after weaning. The in vitro studies in Ussing chambers showed that weaning resulted in increased ileal glucose absorption as well as increased neuroendocrine-regulated (activated by 5-HT) and cAMP-dependent (activated by theophylline) chloride secretion. High zinc supplementation reduced the responses to 5-HT and theophylline. The study did not reveal any influence of copper on these parameters. It is concluded that the positive effect of zinc supplementation on diarrhoea in weaned piglets may be due to zinc reducing the intestinal mucosal susceptibility to secretagogues that activate chloride secretion.

PP009 Age-dependent changes of glucose transport in the small intestine of piglets with and without supplementation of Enterococcus faecium

PP009 Age-dependent changes of glucose transport in the small intestine of piglets with and without supplementation of Enterococcus faecium

Acidomucin goblet cell expansion induced by parenteral nutrition in the small intestine of piglets.

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) impairs small intestine development and is associated with barrier failure, inflammation, and acidomucin goblet cell expansion in neonatal piglets. We examined the relationship between intestinal goblet cell expansion and molecular and cellular indices of inflammation in neonatal piglets receiving TPN, 80% parenteral + 20% enteral nutrition (PEN), or 100% enteral nutrition (control) for 3 or 7 days. Epithelial permeability, T cell numbers, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma mRNA expression, and epithelial proliferation and apoptosis were compared with goblet cell numbers over time. Epithelial permeability was similar to control in the TPN and PEN jejunum at day 3 but increased in the TPN jejunum by day 7. By day 3, intestinal T cell numbers were increased in TPN but not in PEN piglets. However, goblet cell expansion was established by day 3 in both the TPN and PEN ileum. Neither TNF-alpha nor IFN-gamma mRNA expression in the TPN and PEN ileum correlated with goblet cell expansion. Thus goblet cell expansion occurred independently of overt inflammation but in association with parenteral feeding. These data support the hypothesis that goblet cell expansion represents an initial defense triggered by reduced epithelial renewal to prevent intestinal barrier failure.