DEVELOPMENT OF GLUCURONYL TRANSFERASE AND OTHER ENZYME SYSTEMS IN THE NEWBORN RABBIT

Dutch rabbits were found to be suitable animals for the study of the development of liver glucuronyl transferase activity during the neonatal period, as the activity was low at birth and increased to adult levels during the first 2 weeks of life. The neonatal development of a number of enzymes, which are mainly microsomal in character, has been studied. As the development patterns vary widely from enzyme to enzyme, and some display adult or greater than adult levels at birth, it is concluded that the low glucuronyl transferase activity at birth is not due primarily to a gross lack of endoplasmic reticulum.