The temporal and spatial changes in cell proliferation within the irradiated crypts of the murine small intestine

The detailed temporal and spatial changes in the labelling index in crypts of the small intestine of the mouse have been analysed after 8.0 Gy γ-irradiation. The labelling index was determined for each cell position in the crypts at 34 different times between 3 and 192 h after irradiation. it can be concluded that early changes in the crypt, probably the small levels of acute cell death, result in an early stimulation of stem cell proliferation, the signals for which must be local in action. These in turn lead to further rounds of stem cell proliferation and transit cell repopulation. (author)