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Uptake of a homologous series of saturated fatty acids into rabbit intestine using threein vitro techniques

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Abstract

Only recently has it been appreciated that intestinal uptake is influenced by the dimensions of the unstirred water layer (UWL) as well as by the characteristics of the underlying microvillus membrane. This study was undertaken to compare the unidirectional flux rate (Jd) of a homologous series of saturated fatty acids (FA) into everted sacs, disks, and full thickness biopsies prepared from the jejunum and ileum of adult rabbits, under conditions selected to vary the effective resistance of the UWL. When the resistance of the UWL was low, Jd was much higher for sacs than for biopsies or for disks. The change in incremental free energy of transfer ζΔFw→1 was similar in disks and biopsies from the jejunum and ileum; ζΔFw→1 was higher in sacs than in disks or biopsies of jejunum and was higher in sacs of jejunum than in sacs of ileum. When the bulk phase was unstirred and UWL resistance was high, Jd of all fatty acids was lower, and the difference in Jd between the stirred and unstirred conditions increased with longer fatty acid chain lengths; for each FA Jd was higher in sacs than in biopsies or disks. These results suggest that (1) the higher Jd into everted jejunal sacs than into disks or biopsies is due to a difference in the permeability properties of the membrane resulting from the method of preparation of the everted sacs; (2) differences in Jd of FA at different sites along the intestine are due to a greater functional surface area of the membrane of the jejunum than of the ileum; and (3) variations in the effective resistance of the UWL have a profound effect on Jd into intestinal sacs, disks, and biopsies. It is concluded that thereaare qualitative as well as quantitative differences in the rate of uptake of saturated fatty acids into differentin vitro preparations, and that comparisons of Jd between different techniques may be invalid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 8-104 Clinical Sciences Building, 16G 2G3, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    A. B. R. Thomsom & B. D. O'Brien

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  1. A. B. R. Thomsom
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  2. B. D. O'Brien
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Additional information

With the technical assistance of B. Philips, M. Chung, and K. Marshall.

Supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council and the Medical Services Research Foundation of Alberta; B. D. O'Brien is a member of Her Majesty's Armed Forces (Canada).

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Thomsom, A.B.R., O'Brien, B.D. Uptake of a homologous series of saturated fatty acids into rabbit intestine using threein vitro techniques. Digest Dis Sci 25, 209–215 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308141

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308141

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