Influence of thyroxine on suckling rat intestinal alkaline phosphatase and effects of undernutrition on the same.
Administration of daily doses of L-thyroxine to rats from 18-20 days, but not from 4-7, 11-13, or 25-27 days of age, increased intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity. The typical anterior-to-posterior gradient in the enzyme activity was abolished in the hormone-treated (18-20 days of age) rat small intestine (thyroxine prevented the fall of the enzyme activity occurring at weaning in the distal part of the small intestine). Thyroidectomy at 14 days of age decreased the enzyme activity (units/gm wet tissue) in the distal part of the small intestine at 21 days of age, but the enzyme activity was unaltered in the duodenum. The enzyme activity in the distal part of the small intestine of pups undernourished by maternal protein deficiency is not influenced by the hormone administration, even from 18-20 days of age, strengthening the hypothesis that failure of maturation of alkaline phosphatase occurs as a result of neonatal undernutrition.
D000367:Age Factors; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000828:Animal Population Groups / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004386:Duodenum / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D013974:Thyroxine