A study of D-glucose uptake by small intestine of rats following in vivo vinblastine treatment.

The pharmacokinetics of tritiated vinblastine in rats has indicated a considerable excretion of the alkaloid through bile into the intestinal lumen. The present study was undertaken to find out whether the presence of the alkaloid in the lumen of small intestine alters the normal transport of nutrients across the small intestine. This was done by measuring the in vitro D-glucose uptake by slices of small intestine of rats pretreated with vinblastine. Vinblastine pretreatment was done by filling the lumen of in vivo segments of small intestine of rats with different concentrations of the alkaloid for 30 and 60 min before uptake was measured. A significant dose-dependent reduction in D-glucose uptake was observed.