Key pointsr The intestinal adaptive response to resection is complex and has been characterized by studies of its structural, functional, cellular and molecular components. r Parameters of adaptation include intestinal mass, length and thickness, and morphometric measures including villus length, crypt depth and mucosal surface area. r Alterations in multiple intestinal cell kinetic parameters, including rates of crypt cell proliferation, enterocyte migration and apoptosis, result in the adaptive phenotype. r Future studies that focus on the molecular and cellular basis of the adaptive response are critical for defining targeted therapies that will enhance structural and functional small bowel surface area following its loss as a result of resection or disease.
45Intestinal Failure: Diagnosis, Management and Transplantation. Edited