Effect of a single oral dose of DDT on intestinal uptake of nutrients and brush border enzymes in protein-calorie-malnourished monkeys

Abstract

The effect of a single oral dose of DDT (150 mg/kg body wt) has been investigated on the intestinal uptake of certain nutrients and on brush border enzymes in protein-calorie-malnourished monkeys. In contrast to the stimulatory action of DDT on intestinal functions in normal-fed monkeys (A. Mahmood, N. Agarwal, S. Sanyal, P.K. Dudeja, and D. Subrahmanyam, Pest. Biochem. Physiol. 12, 141 (1979)) pesticide feeding to malnourished animals inhibited the uptake of alanine and phenylalanine and depressed sucrase, lactase, and leucine amino-peptidase activities. Glucose and leucine uptake was also reduced, albeit insignificantly and alkaline phosphatase activity was unaffected under these conditions. Protein-energy malnutrition per se considerably elevated the uptake of nutrients and disaccharidase activities. Analysis of the chemical composition of microvillus membrane in underfed and pesticide-exposed malnourished animals revealed alterations in protein, sialic acid, and phospholipid fractions of the brush borders. Membrane cholesterol and triglyceride contents remained unaltered in protein-energy-deficient and DDT-fed monkeys.