Effect of weaning terms and protein deficit in rat pup nutrition on activities of digestive enzymes

Restriction of protein in nutrition of rat pups weaned at different terms has been found to produce changes in activities of digestive enzymes (maltase, alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase M, and glycyl-L-leucine dipeptidase) in the small and large intestine both at once after cessation of nutrition with low-protein diet for 10 days and 4 months later. In adult animals after the earlier or later weaning there are observed not only a decrease or increase of the enzyme activities, but also a different type of distribution of the alkaline phosphatase activity along the small intestine, which is more pronounced in the lately weaned rats. Thus, disturbance of metabolic programming of enzyme systems of the small and large intestine due to a change of quality of nutrition in early ontogenesis depends on terms of weaning of animals.