Effect of clofibrate on the small intestine of fetal mice.

Pregnant Swiss ICR mice were injected with clofibrate at different dosages and time intervals, and embryos were removed either at 17 or 18 days of gestation. In embryos sacrificed at 17 days the level of intestinal catalase activity of the proximal and distal halves in the treated groups is identical in any case to that of the controls. In embryos sacrificed at 18 days, the rise in the level of catalase activity in the proximal half of the small intestine in treated groups is dose dependent up to a certain limit: with repeated injections the increase reaches a plateau. The distal halves of treated groups are much less responsive and an increase in catalase activity was noted only with repeated injections. In untreated embryos circular DAB-positive microperoxisomes (200 nm in diameter) and tubular structures (100 nm in thickness) are seen in the duodenum at 18 days of gestation. At the same stage, only circular microperoxisomes are identified in the ileum. After clofibrate treatment circular and tubular microperoxisomes are observed in the ileum also. It is concluded that clofibrate induces a rise in catalase activity in the embryo, only after 17 days of gestation. These observations are discussed in relation to the biogenesis of microperoxisome.