Precocious differentiation of immature chief cells in fundic mucosa of infant rats induced by hydrocortisone.

Injection of hydrocortisone into developing rats induced precocious increase in the potential peptic activity of pepsinogen in the fundic mucosa, change from the immature to the mature electrophoretic pattern of pepsinogen isozymes and morphological change from the immature to the mature chief cells. The continual presence of hydrocortisone was required for maintenance of mature chief cells.