Intestinal secretion of sulphanilic acid by the isolated mucosa of guinea pig jejunum.

Tissue uptake and transepithelial permeation of 35S-sulphanilic acid were studied in the isolated guinea pig jejunal mucosa. Methoxy-3H-inulin added simultaneously served as a marker for the extracellular space and permeability of paracellular shunt pathways in the preparation. The uptake of sulphanilic acid from the blood side exceeded that from the luminal side 4--7 fold. The permeation of the acid was strongly correlated to the permeation of inulin. At 5 micrometer and 2.5 mM sulphanilic acid under aerobic conditions, the regression lines for the permeation from lumen to blood pass almost through the origin, while the regression lines for the permeation from blood to lumen intersect the ordinate at a positive Y-value. In anaerobiosis, at 25 mM sulphanilic acid, or with addition of p-toluene sulphonic acid only one regression line is obtained for the permeation in both directions. It is concluded that besides a permeation of sulphanilic acid across inulinpermeable shunt pathways an active transport system exists, which transfers the acid from the blood to the luminal side. This system is saturable, depends on aerobic energy and exhibits mutual inhibition by a structurally related compound. The results are comparable to those previously obtained with cardiac glycosides and quaternary ammonium compounds, in the same preparation. Thus, the intestinal mucosa is able to secrete the same classes of compounds which are secreted by the liver and the kidney.