Different effect of starvation on activity of sucrase and lactase in rat jejunoileum

Activities of lactase and sucrase were determined in proximal, middle, and distal thirds of the jejunoileum of 15-wk-old male rats starved for 1, 2, and 3 days and in rats fed a high-sucrose diet for 24 h after 3 days of starvation. Sucrase activity (expressed per tissue protein or DNA as well as per intestinal segment) showed a progressive decrease during starvation in proximal and middle segments but not in the distal segment. Lactase activity expressed per tissue protein or DNA in all segments increased significantly. This was obviously due to the loss of tissue protein and DNA because total lactase activity per segment did not change. Refeeding the sucrose diet produced an increase of sucrase activity without influencing lactase activity. In serial tissue homogenate of jejunal villus-crypt columns prepared using cryostat sectioning, it was shown that, during starvation, activity of lactase (specific and total) increased in the upper and middle villus. Sucrase activity (specific and total) during starvation decreased and after refeeding increased in the lower and middle villus.