Skip to main content
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1979 Nov 15;184(2):245–251. doi: 10.1042/bj1840245

Adaptation of the small intestine during pregnancy and lactation in the rat.

K Burdett, C Reek
PMCID: PMC1161758  PMID: 534527

Abstract

During pregnancy and lactation in the rat the small intestine in general and the mucosal epithelium in particular gain weight. The specific activities of sucrase, lactate dehydrogenase and succinate-tetrazolium reductase remain constant and those of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase increase. There is no evidence that the reported decrease in absorption per unit area or weight of mucosal epithelium during pregnancy and lactation is due to decreases in enzyme activities within the epithelium. The pattern of enzyme change shows that the response of the gut to the stimuli of pregnancy and lactation must be a complex one, possibly involving increases in the specific activities of some enzymes.

Full text

PDF
245

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burdett K., Green F., Reek C. Enzyme changes in rat small intestine during pregnancy and lactation. Histochem J. 1978 May;10(3):343–347. doi: 10.1007/BF01007564. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cairnie A. B., Bentley R. E. Cell proliferation studies in the intestinal epithelium of the rat. Hyperplasia during lactation. Exp Cell Res. 1967 May;46(2):428–440. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(67)90079-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Craft I. L. The influence of pregnancy and lactation on the morphology and absorptive capacity of the rat small intestine. Clin Sci. 1970 Mar;38(3):287–295. doi: 10.1042/cs0380287. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cripps A. W., Williams V. J. The effect of pregnancy and lactation on food intake, gastrointestinal anatomy and the absorptive capacity of the small intestine in the albino rat. Br J Nutr. 1975 Jan;33(1):17–32. doi: 10.1079/bjn19750005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DAHLQVIST A. METHOD FOR ASSAY OF INTESTINAL DISACCHARIDASES. Anal Biochem. 1964 Jan;7:18–25. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(64)90115-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FELL B. F., SMITH K. A., CAMPBELL R. M. Hypertrophic and hyperplastic changes in the alimentary canal of the lactating rat. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1963 Jan;85:179–188. doi: 10.1002/path.1700850117. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hübscher G., West G. R., Brindley D. N. Studies on the fractionation of mucosal homogenates from the small intestine. Biochem J. 1965 Dec;97(3):629–642. doi: 10.1042/bj0970629. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Iemhoff W. G., Hülsmann W. C. Development of mitochondrial enzyme activities in rat-small-intestinal epithelium. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Dec 10;23(3):429–434. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01637.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Riecken E. O., Dowling R. H., Booth C. C., Pearse A. G. Histochemical changes in the rat small intestine associated with enhanced absorption after high bulk feeding. Enzymol Biol Clin (Basel) 1965;5(4):231–244. doi: 10.1159/000457999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rolls B. A. Dipeptidase activity in the small intestinal mucosa during pregnancy and lactation in the rat. Br J Nutr. 1975 Jan;33(1):1–9. doi: 10.1079/bjn19750003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sherratt H. S. The metabolism of the small intestine. Oxygen uptake and L-lactate production along the length of the small intestine of the rat and guinea pig. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1968 Mar;24(3):745–761. doi: 10.1016/0010-406x(68)90787-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. WROBLEWSKI F., LADUE J. S. Lactic dehydrogenase activity in blood. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1955 Oct;90(1):210–213. doi: 10.3181/00379727-90-21985. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. de Both N. J., Plaisier H. The influence of changing cell kinetics on functional differentiation in the small intestine of the rat. A study of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. J Histochem Cytochem. 1974 May;22(5):352–360. doi: 10.1177/22.5.352. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES