title: Developmental differences in the effect of natural feeding on early enteric mucosal growth of guinea pigs.
abstract: In contrast to observations in other species, neither enteric mucosal weight, protein content, nor DNA content of either the suckled or artificially fed guinea pig changes over the first 24 h following term birth. In guinea pigs delivered 5 days prematurely, however, statistically significant increases in proximal enteric mucosal mass (38%), protein content (51%), and DNA content (35%) occur in suckled animals over the first 24 h of life but not in artificially fed animals. These observations illustrate that the enteric mucosal hyperplasia secondary to natural feeding, quantitatively and temporally, is species-specific and suggest that this effect is manifested only during a finite period of intestinal development. They raise doubts, therefore, concerning the importance of early enteric mucosal hyperplasia in adaptation of all species to extrauterine life.
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004435:Eating; D005502:Food; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000032:analysis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000254:growth & development; D008892:Milk; D009929:Organ Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D013391:Sucking Behavior
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA