Comparison of distribution of brush-border exo- and endopeptidases in rat and rabbit intestine.

The distribution of brush-border endopeptidase-2, aminopeptidase W, carboxypeptidase P, and aminopeptidase P along the rat and rabbit intestine was examined. In both species, aminopeptidases P and W increased distally and reached the highest in the ileum; their activities in the ileo-caecal junction were the lowest. Endopeptidase-2 had a uniform intestinal distribution in both species with the highest activity in the ileum and little activity in the ileo-caecal junction or caecum. With a distribution similar to that of endopeptidase-2, carboxypeptidase P also had high activity in the ileum in rats and rabbits.