Hormonal control of the intestinal brush border enzyme activities in developing anuran amphibians. II. Effects of glucocorticoids and insulin during experimental metamorphosis.

The effects of glucocorticoids (hydrocortisone, dexamethasone) and insulin on enzymatic activities of the intestinal brush border membrane were investigated in an anuran amphibian, Alytes obstetricians, before and during experimental metamorphosis produced by immersion into a thyroxine solution. During experimental metamorphosis, a new epithelium (secondary epithelium) replaces the degenerating primary epithelium. The enzymes studied were three glucidases (maltase, glucoamylase, trehalase) and alkaline phosphatase. In tadpoles reaching the end of premetamorphosis, hormones were injected every day (hydrocortisone, dexamethasone: 25 micrograms/g body wt/day; insulin: 5 mU/g body wt/day, for 3 and occasionally 6 consecutive days. Under such conditions, most of the activities in the primary epithelium increased or remained stable. In animals which completed experimental metamorphosis, the secondary epithelium formed. Hydrocortisone (25 micrograms/g body wt/day) and insulin (5 mU/g body wt/day) treatments significantly decreased the enzymatic activities of the new brush border membrane in animals which received one hydrocortisone and/or insulin injection per day, during 3 consecutive days. Such results, which previously had not been obtained systematically in spontaneously metamorphosing tadpoles (El Maraghi-Ater, Mesnard, and Hourdry (1986). Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 61, 53-63), emphasize the relative independence of the intestinal metabolism during experimental and spontaneous metamorphosis.