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. 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.

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Selected References

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

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