title: Ventromedial hypothalamic lesions enhance small intestinal cell proliferation in mice.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  We have found previously that ventromedial hypothalamic lesions (VMH) enhance cell proliferation in the visceral organs through vagal hyperactivity in rats. The goal of the current study was to determine the characteristics and nature of cell proliferation in the small intestine in VMH-lesioned mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The weight and length of the small intestine, thickness of the mucosal and muscle layers, number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells, and mitotic cell count in the mucosal layer in VMH-lesioned and Sham VMH-lesioned mice were determined at 7 days after the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The weight and length of the small intestine in VMH-lesioned mice were significantly greater than those in Sham VMH-lesioned mice, by 11.6% and 15.0%, respectively. The thicknesses of the mucosal and muscle layers of the small intestine in VMH-lesioned mice were also significantly greater than those in Sham VMH-lesioned mice, by 12.7% and 12.5%, respectively. PCNA-positive cells and mitotic cells in the mucosal layer were densely present in crypts in VMH-lesioned mice, and were significantly increased by 31.9% and 71.7%, respectively, compared to Sham VMH-lesioned mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that VMH lesions in mice enhance cell proliferation in the mucosal layers and cause cell hypertrophy or cell proliferation in the muscle layers of the small intestine, which increases the weight and length of the small intestine. VMH lesions in mice may be a new tool for identifying growth factors and related genes involved in enlarging the small intestine mainly through cell proliferation.
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Noriko
authors: N
authors: Ishizuka
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan. Electronic address:senoo-a@kiryu-u.ac.jp.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Senoo
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Hayashi
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Kahoru
authors: K
authors: Sasaki
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Masako
authors: M
authors: Kako
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Nobuo
authors: N
authors: Imazeki
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Shimizu
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Ryota
authors: R
authors: Haba
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Tosei
authors: T
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Katsumi
authors: K
authors: Arai
authors: National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo 162-8636, Japan.
authors: Toshimasa
authors: T
authors: Osaka
authors: Department of Food Science and Human Wellness, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Midorimachi, Bunkyodai, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan.
authors: Yuri
authors: Y
authors: Kintaka
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
authors: Yuichi
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Inoue