Abstract

Feeding sodium deoxycholate orally to rats for four days caused depression of the activity of the small intestinal enzymes lactase, sucrase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase. The first four are brush border enzymes, the last a lysosomal enzyme. Alkaline phosphatase activity recovered very rapidly and rebounded to above the normal level within 24 hours. The activity of the three disaccharidases returned to normal within seven days while no recovery was observed within 96 hours of the activity of the lysosomal enzyme, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, after removing the bile salt from the diet.