Maturation of goblet cells of the mouse small intestine as shown by the uptake of 35S‐sodium sulfate

Adult male mice fed “ad libitum” were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 35S‐sodium sulfate and sacrificed one, three and six hours after. Plastic embedded one micron thick sections from duodenum, jejunum and ileum were radioautographed and the uptake of the 35S by goblet cells was analysed. Goblet cells of the small intestine originate in crypts and migrate to villi reaching their tips where they are released into the intestinal lumen. Radioautographic reaction appeared over all goblet cells whether in the crypts or in the villi indicating continual synthesis of sulfomucins. By determining the silver grain concentration over goblet cells at different levels of crypts and villi it was shown that the cells of duodenum and jejunum become more active in the synthesis of sulfomucin, when they reach the upper half of the villi. In the ileum, although a similar maturation may occur, the results were not statistically significant.