DECREASED ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN JEJUNAL ENTEROCYTES OF 28-DAY-OLD GROWTH-RETARDED PIGLETS: A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

摘要

Changes of alkaline phosphatase activity (AP) in the jejunal enterocytes were investigated in growth-retarded piglets. Twenty-eight-day-old clinically healthy piglets with normal growth (n = 6, body weight 10.70 ±0.49 kg) and growth-retarded animals(n = 6, body weight 8.60 ± 0.50 kg) were used in this study. A histochemical technique and densitometric analysis were employed to evaluate the changes in the AP activity. A significant decrease in the density of AP activity was observed in the growth-retarded piglets compared to the normal piglets (P< 0.001). Our results point to a relationship between the AP density in the microvillous zone of enterocytes and the functional state of those enterocytes. Thus, these data can be found useful in the earlydiagnosis of growth disturbances in food-producing animals.