Effect of adrenalectomy and tryptophan force-feeding on the activity of intestinal disaccharidases in adult rats.

The effects of bilateral adrenalectomy and subsequent force-feeding of L-tryptophan (30 mg/100 g body weight) on the activity of disaccharidases (lactase, sucrase, and maltase) in the jejunum and ileum were investigated. One month after adrenalectomy the activity of lactase, sucrase, and maltase in the ileum and of lactase and maltase in the jejunum was significantly decreased when compared with that of the sham-operated controls. In adrenalectomized rats, administration of tryptophan (24 h later) produced significant increments in lactase and maltase activities in both jejunum and ileum, compared with the corresponding water-fed adrenalectomized control.