Effect of sympathectomy on ontogeny of small intestinal disaccharidases in the rat.
In the present study the effect of chemical sympathectomy on the development of small intestinal enzymes in the rat was analyzed. Eight doses of guanethidine sulfate were administered subcutaneously every 48 h to 34 newborn rats, starting at birth. The last dose was given at 14 days of age. Twenty-two littermates served as controls. Intestinal lactase, maltase, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase were determined at 15, 17, 20, 23, and 25 days of age. Sympathectomy was demonstrated by reduction of the number of perikarya in the superior cervical ganglia in treated rats as compared with control rats. A normal developmental pattern of activities of the disaccharidases in the small intestine was observed in both groups. The activity of alkaline phosphatase was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in the 15- and 17-day-old treated animals.
Department of Pediatrics A, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Z
Z
Grunwald
H
H
Marcus
I
I
Zahavi
Y
Y
Rozenbach
M
M
Nitzan
G
G
Dinari
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004186:Disaccharidases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006145:Guanethidine; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical
D004186:Disaccharidases; D006145:Guanethidine