Effect of Adrenalectomy and Tryptophan Forcefeeding on the Activity of Intestinal Disaccharidases in Adult Rats

Abstract

The effects of bilateral adrenalectomy and subsequent force-feeding of L-tryptophan (30 mg/100 g body weight) on the activity of disaccharidases (lactase, sucrase, and maltase) in the jejunum and ileum were investigated. One month after adrenalectomy the activity of lactase, sucrase, and maltase in the ileum and of lactase and maltase in the jejunum was significantly decreased when compared with that of the shamoperated controls. In adrenalectomized rats, administration of tryptophan (24 h later) produced significant increments in lactase and maltase activities in both jejunum and ileum, compared with the corresponding water-fed adrenalectomized control.

Key-words:

• Bilateral adrenalectomy
• intestine
• lactase
• maltase
• sucrase
• tryptophan force-feeding