Insulin influences the maturation and proliferation of suckling mouse intestinal mucosa in serum-free organ culture.

Explants of suckling mouse jejunum have been maintained in serum-free organ culture with or without insulin added to the medium in order to determine the possible direct effect of this hormone on the hydrolytic functions of the brush border and on the proliferation of the crypt cells. The addition of insulin induced the precocious appearance of sucrase activity and increased trehalase, glucoamylase and lactase activities. Alkaline phosphatase activity remained unaffected in the tissue as well as in the medium. An increased DNA content and 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA were already recorded after 24 h of culture. The mitotic index was significantly increased after 24 h and remained elevated when the culture was extended to 48 h. These results show that insulin directly influences the enzymatic maturation and the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells of suckling mouse.