Maturation in the ferret ileal epithelium and the effect of cortisone acetate.

Normal maturation ('closure') in the ferret ileal epithelium occurs, between 35 and 39 days after birth, by a process of cellular replacement. The administration of cortisone acetate at doses up to 1.2 mg/g body weight for 5 days failed to promote any morphological changes in the ileal epithelium in this non-rodent species, and the results suggest that the maturing effect of cortisone acetate in the rat might be peculiar to the rodents.