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Development of Disaccharidase and Glycolytic Enzyme Activities of Prenatal Bovine Fetuses¹

Department of Dairy Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824
and Metabolic Division, United States Army Medical Research and Nutrition Laboratory, Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver, Colorado 90240

ABSTRACT

Bovine fetuses were removed by Caesarian section from primiparous Holstein heifers at 90, 180, and 260 days of gestation. There were five female and five male fetuses at each date. Intestinal mucosal samples were divided into proximal 33% and distal 67% and as-saved for disaccharidase and glycolytic enzymes. Lactose was detected at 90 days in the small intestine, in creased 3 times by 180 days, and plateaued until term. Patterns for the proximal were higher. Maltase was also present at 90 days and decreased with advancing gestation. Sex did not affect disaccharidase activities. Similar to lactase, glycolytic enzymes (pyruvate kinase, fructose diphosphate aldolase) were lowest at 90 days and increased thereafter. At 90 days, intestinal glycolytic enzymes in females were higher than in males, but sexes were not different at 180 and 260 days. The glycolytic enzymes were highly correlated among themselves. There was no apparent relationship between plasma glucose and intestinal enzymes. Intestinal lactose and glycolytic enzymes in the bovine fetus increase most during the second trimester of gestation.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Experiment Station as Journal Article no. 6018.

² Present address: Department of Animal Science, Texas A & I University, Kingsville, TX 78363.