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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2007; 13(1): 152-157
Published online Jan 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i1.152
Age-related histomorphologic changes in the canine Gastrointestinal tract: A histologic and immunohistologic study
Berit Baum, Felix Meneses, Sven Kleinschmidt, Ingo Nolte, Marion Hewicker-Trautwein
Berit Baum, Sven Kleinschmidt, Marion Hewicker-Trautwein, Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Felix Meneses, Ingo Nolte, Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the German Research Council (He 1548/4-2)
Correspondence to: Dr. Marion Hewicker-Trautwein, Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Buenteweg 17, Hannover D-30559, Germany. marion.hewicker-trautwein@tiho-hannover.de
Telephone: +49-511-9538630 Fax: +49-511-9538675
Received: September 6, 2006
Revised: October 25, 2006
Accepted: December 7, 2006
Published online: January 7, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To examine the changes in the histomorphology of the gastric, jejunal and colonic wall of dogs due to physiological aging.

METHODS: Full thickness biopsies were taken from the gastrointestinal tracts of 28 dogs of different ages. The thickness of the different layers of the wall was measured and the numbers of proliferating cells as indicated by immunohistochemical detection of Ki67 were counted.

RESULTS: In the three excision sites, the thickness of all subepithelial layers increased with rising age. The strongest correlation between age and thickness of the intestinal wall was found in the first 10 years of life and in the jejunum (r = 0.6-0.71 for the deep lamina propria mucosa, the muscularis mucosa, and the circular layer of the tunica muscularis). The number of proliferating cells decreased during aging, with the strongest correlation in the lamina propria mucosa and lamina muscularis mucosa of the jejunum and in the colonic submucosa (r = -0.61 to -0.71). Epithelial proliferation was only weakly correlated to the age.

CONCLUSION: The morphology of the deeper layers and the proliferation of mesenchymal cells of the intestinal wall of healthy dogs are correlated with age. Gastrointestinal epithelial proliferation is only weakly age-correlated.

Keywords: Age; Canine; Intestine; Ki67; Stomach