In vivo intestinal absorption of manganese in the rat.

The mechanisms of intestinal absorption of Mn in rats and the effects of low-molecular-weight ligands in this process were investigated using an in vivo perfusion system. Segments of either jejunum or ileum were perfused with isotonic solutions containing 0.0125 to 0.1 mM MnSO4 X 7H2O, in the presence or absence of double its concentration of either L-histidine (His) or citrate (Cit). In all cases the absorption of Mn declined with time; for example, in the absence of ligand Mn absorption fell from (means +/- SEM) 16.0 +/- 2.2 at 30 minutes to 2.3 +/- 4.1 pmol/(minute X cm) after 90 minutes of perfusion. Comparable declines occurred both in the jejunum and in the ileum in the presence of His or Cit. The initial absorption rates of Mn, obtained by extrapolation, were higher in the jejunum when His or Cit were present than when no ligands were included in the perfusate [means +/- SD, with His, 66.4 +/- 11.9; with Cit, 79.5 +/- 6.2; none = 17.8 +/- 3.3 pmol/(minute X cm)]. In the ileum, optimum absorption with His was observed between pH 7 and 8. The kinetics of in vivo Mn ileal absorption in the presence of His yielded a Kt of 0.056 mM and an estimated Vmax of 158 pmol/(minute X cm). The coefficient of diffusion was calculated to be 1.5 X 10(-3) cm2/minute. These data are compatible with a high affinity, low capacity, active transport mechanism for Mn in the rat intestine and suggest a limited role for small-molecular-weight ligands associated with both diffusional or active translocation processes.