Orally administered spermine induces precocious intestinal maturation of macromolecular transport and disaccharidase development in suckling rats

The effect of orally administered spermine on intestinal cessation in bovine IgG transport and digestive enzymes in the small intestine was examined in the suckling rats. By the repeated oral administration of spermine (0.1 or 0.25 mumol/g bwt) for 5 days, the ratio of protein to DNA was significantly increased. Maltase and lactase activities changed dose dependently in the spermine treated pups. Absorption of bovine IgG transport in the intestine was dose dependently depressed by spermine treatments. Morphological inspection of treated pups showed a decline in the number of epithelial cells that absorb bovine IgG and in their vesicle sizes from basal to upper regions of the villi. The ratio of mitosis in the crypt of treated pups significantly increased in the small intestine and cecum. These results suggest that exogenously administered spermine induces precocious maturation of the macromolecular transmission and disaccharidase activity in the small intestine of the suckling rats.