Effect of body weight on postnatal development of the proximal small intestine of the rabbit.

The effect of oral intake and body weight on postnatal maturation of the small intestine was examined in infant rabbits with accelerated weight gain. Intestine from immature animals is characterized by large unidirectional Na fluxes, failure of Na absorption to respond to glucose but increased ability to absorb monosaccharides, and an enzyme pattern of high lactase and thymidine kinase and low sucrase. Postnatal development was monitored by measuring Na and glucose transport in short-circuited jejunum and enzyme activities in jejunal mucosa. Accelerated weight gain was achieved in the experimental group by reducing litter size to 3 animals at 24-48 hours of age. Under glucose-free conditions unidirectional Na fluxes were significantly smaller in tissue from the heavier experimental animals compared to controls. The addition of glucose had no effect on Na fluxes in control tissue but significantly increased Na absorption in the experimental group. Unidirectional and net fluxes of 14C-D-glucose were significantly smaller in the heavy experimental animals compared to controls. Isolated villus enterocytes from the experimental group had reduced lactase and thymidine kinase activities. Sucrase activity, which did not differ in isolated cells, was increased in total mucosa from the experimental group. Solute transport and the enzyme profile in jejunum from the heavier experimental suckling rabbits is characteristic of intestinal epithelium from more mature animals, indicating accelerated postnatal maturation. The findings suggest that oral nutrient intake and body weight, rather than chronologic age, act as the physiologic trigger for postnatal maturation of the small intestine.