ABSTRACT
Effects of antibiotics on the structure and functional state of the intestine are not clear. We investigated some structural parameters of the small and large intestine, and activities of two intestinal peptide hydrolases in rats after administration of ampicillin and metronidazole during 3 and 5 days. After 3 days of antibiotic administration a decrease in the weight of mucosa in the small intestine, accompanied with a reduction in the villous height and width in this part of the intestine, and in the weight ofmucosa in the colon occured. At the same time the number of goblet cells in the small intestinal epithelium was increased. Specific activities of aminopeptidase M, and glycyl-L-leucine dipeptidase (micromol/min per g) in the mucosa of the small intestine were increased, and the total activities (micromol/min calculated per a part of the intestine) of the same enzymes did not change. The administration of antibiotics for 5 days resulted in increase of specific activity ofaminopeptidase M in the mucosa of the proximal part of the small intestine. In the chyme of the small intestine and colon, activities of the same enzymes (micromol/min calculated per a part of the intestine) were increased on the third and fifth days of the antibiotic administration. Thus, the application ofampicillin and metronidazole within 3-5 days causes a disturbance of the structural and functional parameters in the small and large intestines, which is most pronounced on the third day of the drug administration.
