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To observe the chronologic change of goblet cells in the course of experimental metagonimiasis in cat, a total of 6 parasite-free cats were infected with 10,000 metacercariae respectively. The cats were killed on 5, 10, 15 days and 4, 8, 10 weeks after infection. Two normal control cats were also killed to observe the normal histology. Three cm longitudinal samples of small intestine were taken at the initial portion of jujunum and jujuno-ileal junction. The samples were processed by routine histologic technique, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, alcian blue(pH 1.0)/PAS, alcian blue(pH 2.5)/PAS methods. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: 1. The most prominent pathological change was found at mucosa, especially at villi. The length of villi were shortened, whereas the length of Lieberku¨hn’s crypt remained normal or slightly hypertrophied. The reduction of villi length were the most remarkable during the period of 5~15 days after infection. 2. During the course of infection, the goblet cells in villi and crypt decreased in their number. The mucopolysaccharide stainability with alcian blue(pH 1.0 or pH 2.5) or PAS was identical with normal control. The mucopolysaccharide stained positively with alcian blue at pH 2.5 but not at pH 1.0. 3. The number of goblet cells reduced during 5~15 days after infection most significantly. Later than this period, the number returned to normal. The number of globlet cells reduced more significantly at villi than at Lieberku¨hn’s crypt. From the above results, the reduction in number of goblet cells at small intestine during the course of experimental metagonimiasis were thought as one of manifestations of mechanical destruction by young and adult worms either at crypt or at intervillous space.
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