MATURATION STATUS OF SMALL-INTESTINE EPITHELIUM IN RATS DEPRIVED OF DIETARY NUCLEOTIDES

We describe the changes of several brush-border enzymatic activities i n different subpopulations of epithelial cells, separated sequentially from the villus tip-to-crypt axis of the small intestine, induced by deprivation of dietary nucleotides for different periods of time in ad ult rats. Deprivation of dietary nucleotides lead to a decrease in the content and specific activity of alkaline phosphatase, leucine-aminop eptidase, maltase, sucrase and lactase in the villus tip, but had litt le effect on the crypt zone. The effect of the nucleotide deprivation on the enzymatic activity progressively increased towards the tip of t he villus. Since these enzymes are maturation markers of the intestina l cells, these results support the idea that dietary nucleotides affec t the maturation status of small-intestine epithelium.