[The pepsinogen of the gastric mucosa in the red-cheeked suslik Citellus erythrogenys].

Studies have been made on the isozymic composition of pepsinogen (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and peptidase activity in gastric mucosa of the ground squirrel at various stages of hibernation. Eight pepsinogen isoforms were found in acid-producing zone of the mucosa, pyloric mucosa lacks first three of them, its peptidase activity being two times lower than in other parts of the stomach. During hibernation, no significant changes were found in fractional composition of pepsinogen, peptidase activity being decreased twofold only in the fundulus of the stomach, remaining practically constant in other parts of the latter. This finding indicates that the stomach is ready for the activity irrespectively of food uptake.