Abstract
The distribution of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-containing endocrine cells was investigated in the chicken intestine by using imunohistochemical and morphometrical techniques. GLP-1-immunoreactive cells were mainly distributed in the whole jejunum and ileum, and rarely found in ascending duodenum, but not in other intestinal regions. These cells had pyramidal or spindle-like shape and a cytoplasmic process reaching to the intestinal lumen. In jejunum immunoreactive cells were mainly observed in the middle part of villi, and in ileum they were mainly found in the lower part of villi and crypts. The frequencies of occurrence of GLP-1-immunoreactive cells in the proximal, middle and distal jejunum were 16.69±7.47, 22.06±10.13 and 35.88±15.17, respectively (cell numbers per mucosal area : cells/mm2, mean±SD), and those in the proximal, middle and distal ileum were 41.37±15.05, 53.84±17.57 and 73.12±18.46. There were significant differences between two adjacent regions in jejunum and ileum of small intestine. These data shows that GLP-1-immunoreactive cells are distributed more densely in the distal small intestine, and GLP-1 may play an important role in this intestinal region.
