Abstract
Transepithelial sodium transport and epithelial morphology during short-term adaptation to resalination or aldosterone stimulation were studied in the chicken coprodeum. Coprodeum was sampled for light and electron microscopy after 0–3 days of resalination in hens on a low-NaCl diet and after 0–6 days of aldosterone stimulation in hens on a high-NaCl diet. Sodium transport was measured in vitro with Ussing chambers. Plasma osmolality and electrolyte concentrations were measured in aldosterone-stimulated hens. Epithelial proliferation and migration between 1 h and 16 days were investigated in chickens on high-NaCl and low-NaCl diets using a bromodeoxyuridine technique. Resalination abolished the otherwise high sodium transport within 1 day, while the height and number of microvilli, as well as the number of brush cells, decreased over 3 days. Aldosterone stimulation increased sodium transport, the height and number of microvilli, and the brush-cell number. Bromodeoxyuridine studies indicated an epithelial cell turnover of more than 16 days. The results thus demonstrate that epithelial cells have an unusual capacity to adjust rap- idly to variations in sodium intake. A strong correlation between structure and function was apparent.
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Received: 28 February 1997 / Accepted: 3 December 1997
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Sødring Elbrønd, V., Skadhauge, E., Thomsen, L. et al. Morphological adaptations to induced changes in transepithelial sodium transport in chicken lower intestine (coprodeum): a study of resalination, aldosterone stimulation, and epithelial turnover. Cell Tissue Res 292, 543–552 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051083
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051083