Undernutrition and Intestinal Dipeptide Hydrolase Activity in the Rat

Abstract
The effects of undernutrition on intestinal mucosal dipeptide hydrolase, alkaline phosphatase, and disaccharidase activities were studied in infant and adult rats. Dipeptide hydrolase activities for glycylproline and valylproline were significantly reduced in undernourished animals at ages 7, 21, 42, and 68 days. The activity of leucylalanine dipeptide hydrolase was not significantly reduced in poorly nourished rats at ages 7, 21, 42, and 68 days, but was reduced at age 115 days. Alkaline phosphatase activity was reduced in undernourished animals at ages 21, 42, and 115 days.