Action of phenobarbital on the ultrastructure and the enzymatic activity of the mouse intestine and the mouse liver

The fine structure and the cytochemical activity of the liver, the duodenum and the jejunum of adult mice have been studied after phenobarbital (P.B.) treatment. A smooth endoplasmic reticulum proliferation has been observed in the centrolobular hepatocytes after 3 injections of P.B. and in the apical cells of the intestinal villi after 1 to 7 injections of P.B. The distribution of glucose-6-phosphatase remained unchanged but the specific activity decreased. Biochemical measurements of alkaline phosphatase activity have shown a differential response in the duodenum and in the jejunum.