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Cellular origin of lactase decline in postweaned rats
1A.F.R.C. Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Babraham, Cambridge, U.K.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|December 11, 1987
Summary
Intestinal lactase activity decreases after weaning in rats due to changes in cellular processes. This study reveals how cellular migration and enzyme expression rates impact lactase levels during development.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Intestinal lactase activity significantly declines in rats post-weaning.
- This developmental regulation of enzyme expression is crucial for understanding digestive adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying the age-dependent decrease in intestinal lactase activity.
- To determine the roles of cellular migration and lactase expression rates in this phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of cellular migration rates along intestinal villi in rats of varying ages.
- Quantification of lactase activity in brush-border membranes at different developmental stages.
Main Results:
- An initial decrease in lactase activity (15-23 days) correlated with reduced time for brush-border membrane expression.
- A subsequent decline (23-46 days) was attributed to a slower rate of lactase appearance in the brush-border membrane.
Conclusions:
- The developmental fall in rat intestinal lactase activity is a multi-stage process.
- Changes in cellular migration and the kinetics of lactase expression contribute to reduced enzyme levels post-weaning.