title: Morphological effects of autoclaved diet on the myenteric neurons of rats.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of autoclaved diet on the jejunum neurons of the myenteric plexus of rats during their growth.
  
  
  
  The experimental groups were made up of rats going through weaning whose mothers received either an autoclaved or a non-autoclaved diet during gestation and lactation, and rats that were fed the same diet as their mothers during the post-weaning period. In order to measure the neurons' body profile and to quantify the number of neurons per area, preparations were stained by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-diaphorase method.
  
  
  
  No significant changes were observed in rats' body weight or in the number of neurons regardless of the diet used (P > 0.05). There was a decrease in the jejunum-ileum length in rats treated with an autoclaved diet (P < 0.05). An increase in the neuronal cross-sectional area was seen in rats that had received the autoclaved diet, an effect that was significant for animals undergoing weaning. In addition, all observed factors showed significant differences when related to the age of the animals.
  
  
  
  The autoclaved diet did not alter the quantity of neurons, but increased their cell body area, suggesting changes similar to those observed in protein deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, 05508-270 São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Gonçalez
authors.forename: Naianne K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Clebis
authors.forename: Renata B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Karina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gagliardo
authors.forename: Sandra R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stabille
authors.forename: Haroldo G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Edson A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Liberti
authors.forename: José Roberto
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kfoury
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D014886:Weaning