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Development of human intestinal and gastric enzymes

D Ménard1

  • 1Département d'Anatomie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement
|December 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Human fetal gastrointestinal development is uncoordinated, with functional changes occurring asynchronously. Understanding these developmental patterns and regulatory mechanisms is crucial for optimizing infant nutritional support.

Area of Science:

  • Human developmental biology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Human gastrointestinal tract development is less coordinated than in rodents.
  • Functional changes occur at different times during the fetal period.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review developmental patterns of key gastrointestinal enzymes and lipoprotein synthesis in human fetuses.
  • To describe the ontogeny of gastric lipase and pepsin.
  • To present recent findings on regulatory mechanisms for human intestinal brush border hydrolases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and recent observations.
  • Analysis of developmental patterns of specific enzymes (brush border, lysosomal, peroxisomal).
  • Examination of de novo synthesis of intestinal lipoproteins and fetal gastric enzymes.

Main Results:

  • Human fetal gastrointestinal development exhibits asynchronous functional maturation.
  • Specific developmental patterns for intestinal enzymes, lipoprotein synthesis, gastric lipase, and pepsin are observed.
  • Recent data highlight regulatory mechanisms influencing human intestinal brush border hydrolase development.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of gastrointestinal ontogeny and regulation is essential.
  • This knowledge can guide tailored nutritional support for infants based on their developmental stage.
  • Optimizing nutritional strategies requires considering the digestive and metabolic capabilities of the infant.

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