Abstract
Suckling rats were injected with hydrocortisone at 12 and 13 days after birth and were sacrificed for the experiment at 15 days. Alkaline phosphatase in the duodenum was detected as three activity bands on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, while in control rats, the enzyme showed a single band. The electrophoretic pattern in hydrocortisone-treated rats was similar to that observed in adult rats. This result supports the view that the maturation of intestinal alkaline phosphatase is primarily regulated by glucocorticoids.
