Radioautography with tritiated thymidine revealed an increased epithelial cell migration rate in the mice treated with the antibiotics for 3 to 5 wk. A slight increase in villus height was also noted. The treated male mice showed greater variance than the treated females in epithelial cell migration rates.

Histochemical staining reactions showed a decrease in nonspecific esterase and in NADH dehydrogenase activity in the proximal gut of the antibiotic animals. Stains of distal gut and those for acid and alkaline phosphatase, NADPH dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, and succinic dehydrogenase were similar to the controls. A slight increase in sucrase activity and a slight decrease in lactase activity in the antibiotic animals was observed in contrast to control animals. Germfree mice, however, had greater sucrase and lactase activity. Transport of L-methionine was slightly reduced in the distal segment of the treated animals.

Since the direction of these changes is away from the intestinal state observed in germfree animals, they are probably the result of the direct action of the antibiotics on the gut.