Abstract
Although the neonatal intestine is able to process milk and absorb the components, problems of digestion are common. Because of the limited availability of human fetal and neonatal tissues, relatively little is known about functional development of the intestine, particularly during the third trimester when premature births and digestive insufficiencies are likely. Because pigs share with humans similar digestive system structure and functions, we characterized development of hydrolytic and transport activities in pigs, using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) and intact tissues prepared from 7, 8, 10 and 12 wk fetuses (43, 49, 61 and 74% of term, respectively), unsuckled neonates and during the first 24 hr of suckling. Intestinal weight increased exponentially between 7 and 12 wk of gestation, more than 7 fold between 12 wk and birth and nearly 2 fold after 24 hr of suckling. Lactase was detected at 7 wk, activity increased dramatically between 10 wk and birth and established a proximal to distal gradient, with a further increase after birth. Sucrase was not detected prenatally, with only low activity during the perinatal period. Active L-leucine uptake was detected at 7 wk, with a decreasing proximal to distal gradient present at birth. D-glucose uptake at 7 wk was low and mostly Na+ independent but a typical overshoot phenomenon was present at 8 wk. At 12 wk and birth, D-glucose uptake was strictly Na+ dependent along the entire length of intestine; it declined from proximal to distal. Kinetic analysis of uptake concentration data revealed the presence of both high and low affinity systems at 8 wk of gestation but only a single high affinity Michaelian system at birth and thereafter. The appearance of hydrolytic and transport functions during early gestation of pigs, and the switch in transport systems, is similar to reports for humans. Therefore, the pig may be a valuable model for studying prenatal and perinatal intestinal development and should provide much needed insights about the final trimester of pregnancy.
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Buddington, R.K., Malo, C., Zhang, H. (1996). Prenatal and Perinatal Development of Intestinal Transport and Brush Border Hydrolases in Pigs. In: Tumbleson, M.E., Schook, L.B. (eds) Advances in Swine in Biomedical Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5885-9_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5885-9_30
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