Morphological effects of high dose neomycin sulphate on the small and large intestine.

The morphology of the intestinal wall and the activity of certain mucosal enzyme systems in the course of neomycin treatment were evaluated. Conventional and, to study the role of the bacterial flora, germ-free rats received 500 mg neomycin daily by stomach tube. Rats were sacrificed after seven days and small intestine (proximal and distal part) together with segments of the colon were removed and prepared for histochemistry. The colon and proximal small intestine of untreated conventional and germ-free animals did not show appreciable differences in staining activity after treatment with neomycin. Neomycin diminished both in normal and germ-free rats the activity of NAD tetrazolium reductase, succinate dehydrogenase, esterase, alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase in the distal small intestine. The findings of this study indicate that explanations for the beneficial effects of neomycin on hyperammonemia in liver disease should not only include the bactericidal action of neomycin but also its influence on absorption and metabolic functions of the mucosal cells.