Perinatal development of the small intestine and pancreas in rat and spiny mouse. Its relation to altricial and precocial timing of birth.

Rat (Rattus norvegicus) and spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) are closely related species that mainly differ in the developmental timing of birth. A comparison between the developmental profiles of some characteristic enzymes of the small intestine (lactase and sucrase) and of the pancreas (amylase) of both species was carried out to elucidate the question to what extent these enzymic profiles and hence the maturation of these organs was related to the process of birth. It was found that these organ-specific enzymes become first detectable at the same developmental stage in both species. Likewise, the weaning phase of the enzymic profiles occurred at the same developmental time point in both species. It is argued that both the first appearance and the weaning increase in enzyme activity follow an inherent biological program that can only be modulated by hormones. In contrast, the perinatal phase of the enzymic profile is completely dependent on the developmental timing of birth, and therefore appears not to be anchored to a particular developmental time point but rather to be dependent on birth-associated (hormonal) adaptation. In accordance with this hypothesis it was found that the development of the microscopic anatomy of the small intestine proceeded independently of the functional adaptation of the intestine to the process of birth.