[Transport of the hydroxy analogs of leucine in the brush border membrane vesicles of the rabbit small intestine].

Hydroxy analogues of essential amino acids can be used in clinical nutrition to minimize nitrogen intake. In this study intestinal uptake of L-leucine hydroxy analogue into rabbit jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles was investigated. An inward directed H(+)-gradient was a driving force of uptake (pHoutside = 6.0; pHinside = 7.5) and led to a transient accumulation. The saturable system has a apparent transport constant Kt = 15.4 mM. By trans stimulation experiments it could be shown that both D- and L-stereoisomers of hydroxy analogues of branched chain amino acids as well as L-lactate share with the same H(+)-driven uptake system.