Intestinal Enzymes: Indicators of Proliferation and Differentiation in the Jejunum

Abstract

Some intestinal enZymes were assayed which were related to: (i) Cellular proliferation, for example, aspartate carbamoyltransferase, thymidine kinase, uridine kinase, and dihydroorotase; (ii) cellular differentiation, for example, lactase, invertase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase, and dipeptidase; and (iii) lysosomes, for example, beta-glucuronidase, acid beta-galactosidase, and acid phosphatase. These enzymatic determinations can be used to distinguish the crypt from the villus during healthy or diseased states.