ANALYSIS OF INTESTINAL CELL PROLIFERATION AFTER GUANETHIDINE-INDUCED SYMPATHECTOMY

Neonatal administration of guanethidine-sulfate results in an alteration of the cell proliferative pattern of the small intestinal epithelium of the young adult rat. Sympathectomy with guanethidine has previously been shown to depress mitotic, labelling, and total cellular migration indices while increasing the generation cycle time (T_C) of small intestinal crypt cells as measured by a stathmokinetic method. The present study showed that the G₁, S and G₂ phases of the crypt cell cycle are altered by sympathectomy, G₁ accounting for most of the increase in T_C. In addition, the percentage of ³H]-thymidine labelled crypt cells is reduced and the duration of crypt cell transit is lengthened by guanethidine-induced sympathectomy.