Effect of Intrauterine Growth Retardation on the Activities of Fetal Intestinal Enzymes in Rats

The activities of maltase, lactase, alkaline phosphatase and enterokinase were followed in the small intestine of rats during prenatal development. These enzymes were detectable only after the 17th day of gestation. Furthermore, each enzyme exhibited a different pattern of prenatal presence. Maltase activity appeared first (day 18), followed by lactase and alkaline phosphatase (day 19) and then enterokinase (day 20). Except for enterokinase, all of the enzymes attained a level of activity close to the newborn levels at the final day of gestation. Induced intrauterine growth retardation during the 3rd trimester led to a decrease in intestinal weight proportional to the reduction of body weight. The decrease in size of the small intestine was caused by a reduction in cell number rather than cell size. Induced intrauterine growth retardation also resulted in a selective reduction in the specific activities of lactase and alkaline phosphatase, but not of enterokinase and maltase. These results suggest that reduction in maternofetal blood flow in the 3rd trimester of gestation will cause a selective decrease in some brush border enzymes (lactase and alkaline phosphatase) but does not affect others (maltase and enterokinase).