The effect of vitamin A status on the differentiation and function of goblet cells in the rat intestine.

The prevalence of goblet cells in duodenal crypts decreased to 60% of normal at day 4 of deficiency. Villus and crypt length, total mucosal cell number, cell cycle time, and migration rate were unaffected at day 8 of deficiency. The carbohydrate content, protein content, and molecular size of high molecular weight glycoproteins (peak I) were unaffected at day 8 of deficiency. The incorporation of L-[3H]threonine (G) into proteins of all peaks were reduced to 60% of normal at day 8 of deficiency. The incorporation of L-[1-14C]fucose into glycoprotein fell to 25% of normal in peak I, and to 70 to 90% of normal in other peaks at day 8 of deficiency. In vitamin A deficiency, a defect seems to exist either in the rate of differentiation of intestinal goblet cells at a critical period, or in the differentiation of a subclass of vitamin A-sensitive goblet cells. Some possible explanations for the decreased synthetic rate of some glycoproteins in the presence of normal steady-state concentrations in A- rats are discussed.