Influence of glucocorticoids on some morphological and biochemical aspects of rat small intestinal mucosa.

Glucocorticoid administration (5 mg/day per 100 g of body weight) to month-old rats elicited a reduction of maltase and alkaline phosphatase. Corticotrophic stimulation on month-old rats elicited a specific rise in maltase and alkaline phosphatase activities, total protein content remaining unchanged. Immunological, histological, radioautographical and biochemical studies have shown that these two opposing phenomena do not depend on enzyme activation, on membrane stabilisation, or on modifications of proliferative parameters of the intestinal epithelium. They appear rather to derive from the same origin, i.e. the action of glucocorticoids on the enterocyte differentiation.