[The effect of malnutrition during the early period of postnatal ontogenesis on the amylolytic and invertase activity of the small intestinal mucous membrane of growing rats].

Acute experiments demonstrated that undernourishment caused during the first half of the lactation period of development (8 days of life) by keeping 16 young ones per each lactating female-rat or by 16-hour long weaning of rattlings from their mothers results in a drastic reduction of both specific amylolytic and invertase activity in different sections of the small intestine and in that of the latter's weight. This phenomenon becomes apparent not only at the time of undernourishment, but also during a fairly long period following putting the animals on an ordinary dietary regimen.