Abstract
The early feeding of proteins and carbohydrates to premature babies necessitates knowledge of the developmental pattern of enzyme activities in the fetal gastrointestinal tract. The activities of EK and disaccharidases in small intestine obtained from 38 human fetuses between the ages of 21 and 40 weeks of gestation were investigated. EK was detected in fetal mucosa from the 26th week of gestation on, paralleling appearance of tryptic activity in meconium. The concomitant appearance of EK and trypsin activities in the human intestinal mucosa is indicative of the importance of EK as an activator of trypsinogen and therefore as the key enzyme in protein digestion. Between 26-30 weeks of gestation, the EK activity is only 6% and full term babies (40 weeks) 20% of that found in older children. In contrast lactase in 26-34 week fetuses was 30% and sucrase and maltase were 70% of the full term baby. In addition, the distributional pattern of EK differs from the disaccharidases, showing the highest activity in duodenum and the lowest in ileum, while disaccharidases are highest in jejunum with lower activity in duodenum and ileum. It is conceivable that the premature infant, between 26-30 weeks of gestation, is better equipped to deal with hydrolysis of α-glucosides than lactose, and that the very low EK activity is a major contributing factor to the very low tryptic activity.
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Lebenthal, E., Antonowicz, I. THIRD TRIMESTER DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL INTESTINAL ENTEROKINASE (EK) AND DISACCHARIDASE ACTIVITIES IN THE HUMAN FETUS. Pediatr Res 11, 408 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00234
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00234