Effects of luminal nutrition and metabolic status on in vivo glucose absorption.

Luminal nutrients, but not metabolic status, maintain active glucose transport by the rat intestine in vitro. The present study was designed to examine the effects of these factors on the in vivo absorption of glucose and 3-O-methylglucose. Rats were fed either intraluminally or by total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for 7 days or fasted for 72 h. Sugar absorption was measured under pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal) anesthesia at concentrations from 7 to 28 mM. Luminally fed rats had a significantly greater mucosal mass and absorption rates per centimeter of both sugars than either TPN or fasted animals. However, TPN rats had significantly greater absorption per milligram protein (i.e., specific activity) for both glucose and 3-O-methylglucose than luminally fed rats. In addition, TPN rats absorbed significantly more glucose per milligram protein, but not 3-O-methylglucose, than fasted animals. These data indicate: 1) luminal nutrients maintain glucose absorption by their trophic effects on mucosal mass; 2) the increase in specific activity for sugar absorption after TPN is unrelated to caloric balance; and 3) intestinal glucose metabolism affects its rate of absorption of glucose, but not 3-O-methylglucose.