Effect of short duration caffeine treatment on the jejunum of adult albino rats.

The effect of the short duration (21 days) of caffeine at two different doses (12 mg & 30 mg/kg body weight/day) on the activities of adenosine triphosphatases in jejunum was studied. The activity of Na+, K+ -dependent ATP-ase was reduced significantly in the upper jejunal mucosal and serosal layers of low an high dose groups. Such effect was observed only in the lower jejunal serosal layer while a marked reduction in the activity of Mg2+ATP -ase was seen in mucosal and serosal layers of the jejunum at both doses. There was a significant increase in the activities of Ca2+-dependent and HCO3-dependent ATP -ases in these regions of the lower jejunum.