Intracellular hydrolysis of short chain glycerides by rat small intestine in vitro and transfer of glycerol.

1. When triacetin, tripropionin and tributyrin are incubated with sacs of rat everted intestine, they enter the epithelial cells and are completely hydrolysed to free fatty acids and glycerol.2. The distribution between the mucosal and serosal fluids of the glycerol released is very different from that of the fatty acid. Although both hydrolytic products are accumulated in the serosal fluid, a much higher fraction of the fatty acid appears in this compartment.3. When glycerol is initially present in the mucosal fluid there is no evidence of its movement against a concentration gradient.4. The results confirm the existence of a transport mechanism for fatty acids released intracellularly but do not require the hypothesis of a special mechanism for glycerol transfer.