Effects of cortisone and thyroxine on intestinal trehalase activity in infant mouse

Summary Cortisone acetate (25 g/g b.wt/day) administration to 8-day-old suckling mice induces a premature increase of trehalase activity along the entire small intestine. On the other hand, thyroxine (1 g/g b.wt/day) is unable to provoke a precocious increase of trehalase activity. Trehalase appears to be the only brush border membrane disaccharidase controlled solely by glucocorticoid hormones during the postnatal maturation of the intestine.Supported by grant MA-5969 from the Medical Research Council of Canada to D.M. C.M. is a recipient of a studentship from MRC of Canada.