Abstract
Brush border hydrolase activities increase as enterocytes migrate from crypts towards villous tips. Recently this process has been studied at the cellular level using quantitative cytochemistry (1). This technique is now applied to alkaline phosphatase (AP), a-glucosidase (a-G), and lactase (L) developrrentt in controls (n=6), and children with CD (n=6) and CMPI (n=5).
In controls AP, a-G, and L activities increased over the first 120 μm from the crypt-villous junction (142 to 270; 102 to 147; 78 to 138 absorbance units [AU] respectively)and changed little thereafter. The development pattern in CMPI was similar for AP (115 to 263 AU) but a-G & L levels were lower (49 to 100; 31 to 91 AU). The pattern of development in CD was again similar for AP (110 to 208 AU); a-G activity was initially low and the subsequent increase was reduced (48 to 84 AU); L activity remained low throughout (19 to 26 AU).
Cells migrate more rapidly and have considerably shortened life spans in CD and CMPI yet they still manage to attain the same maximal AP activity, presumably through adaptation. The failure of enterocytes to respond in a similar way when expressing a-G and L probably represents a specific and selective disease-induced lesion.
(1) Smith MW (1985) Ann Roy Physiol 47 247-260
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Smith, M., Phillips, A. & Walker-Smith, J. SELECTIVE INHIBITION OF BRUSH BORDER HYDROLASE DEVELOPMENT IN COELIAC DISEASE (CD) AND COW'S MILK PROTEIN INTOLERANCE (CMPI). Pediatr Res 20, 693 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00047
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00047