Effect of Chronic Nutritional Iron Deficiency on the Small Intestinal Disaccharidase Activities of Growing Dogs ∗

Summary

Lactase, sucrase, and maltase activities were reduced to approximately 50% of controls in both jejunal mucosal homogenates and brush border preparations from puppies with chronic severe nutritional iron deficiency. In vitro studies failed to show a requirement for free inorganic iron by these enzymes. On the other hand, folate conjugase activity was similar in the jejunal mucosa of iron-deficient and control puppies. No histological abnormalities were noted in the mucosa of the iron-deficient animals. It is suggested that iron deficiency may cause a functional impairment in the brush border region of the growing animal before structural changes occur.