Alkaline phosphatase activity of duodenal enterocytes after neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate to rats

In the present work neonatal male and female Wistar rats were treated intra peritoneally with monosodium glutamate (MSG 2. mg/kg b.w.) or saline (contr ols) daily for 4 day after birth. At the age of 30 and 80 days, the alkalin e phosphatase activity (AP) in the brush border of individual enterocytes, the body fat content and Lee's index of obesity were analyzed. Microdensito metrical quantification of AP was significantly increased on day 30 in male s (P<0.01) and on day 80 in MSG-treated male and Female rats (P<0.001) as c ompared to the controls. MSG administration also increased the body fat wei ght and the obesity index significantly (P<0.001) in 80-day-old animals, bu t was without any significant effect on their food intake. Our results show ed that a) neonatal MSG-treatment may significantly change the intestinal f unction and b) the investigation of the intestinal enzyme activities may be important in further studies on MSG-induced and other forms of obesity.