EN
The investigations were carried out on 60 piglets divided into 5 groups of age from 6 h to 14 days. The piglets of experimental groups (C, D, E) were intragastrically administered 0.18% solution of HCl. The HCl was administered on day 3 to group C, 7th day to group D and 10th day to group E daily up to 14 days. At 14th day all the piglets were slaughtered and tissues from stomach and duodenum were collected and processed for macroscopic histopathologic, histochemical, microbiological and for scanning and transmission electron microscopic study. The short time (group E) administration of HCl produced no morphological changes in the mucous membranes of the stomach and duodenum, but the strong time (groups C and D) administration of HCl produced deformation and desquamation of the epithelium of duodenal villi. There was increased production of mucin and decreased activities of lactic and succinate dehydrogenases on the surface of mucous membranes and endocrine cells were also stimulated. Microbial counts of stomach showed decreased counts of haemolytic strains of Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Micrococcus and increased counts of Saccharomyces were observed in experimental piglets.