Effect of cortisone on postnatal development of ion transport in rabbit small intestine.

To study the effect of corticosteroids on postnatal maturation of Na+ transport in the small intestine, we studied 10-12-day-old suckling rabbits after they had received cortisone acetate, 20 mg/kg SC on days 3, 4, and 5 of life. When killed, the cortisone-injected animals weighed significantly less than saline-injected controls. In jejunal villus enterocytes isolated from this cortisone-treated group, the specific activities of sucrase and Na+-K+-ATPase were significantly greater than those in control enterocytes. Studied in Using chambers, a significant electrical and ion-flux response to glucose was observed in the jejunal epithelium of the treated group, but not in controls. We conclude that exogenous cortisone, administered early in life, can stimulate the precocious development not only of certain epithelial enzymes but also glucose-facilitated Na+ transport in the jejunum of the rabbit.