[Secretion of endogenous amino acids in the gastrointestinal tract and amino acid resorption in the swine].

A trial was performed with 2 fistula pigs (each with 2 fistulas, one located about 30 cm below the pyloric orifice and the other at the end of the small intestine). Animal A received a casein diet containing 14% crude protein for a period of 2 weeks before the tracer amino acid was administered. Animal B received the same diet for a period of 10 days and was then fed a diet (at the same protein level) containing gluten as sole protein source. The two tracer amino acids, 14C-U-L-leucine and 3H-4,5-(N)-L-lysine, were injected intravenously. The passage rates for dry matter, organic matter and N measured at the beginning of the small intestine were higher than the rate of intake. The rate of passage of amino acids was also found to be increased relative to the rate of intake. In general, this increase involved the non-essential amino acids to a much larger extent. A considerable proportion of the amino acids passing into the large intestine is not excreted with the faeces but is probably converted in catabolic processes. It is for this reason that any values for the efficiency of amino acid absorption calculated on the basis of data on the faecal excretion of amino acids will not provide conclusive evidence for the availability of dietary amino acids in processes of the intermediate metabolism. The rate of secretion of 3H and 14C radioactivity into the digesta of the small intestine was found to increase rapidly within 1-2 hrs after administration of the tracer amino acids. The 14C radioactivity detected was found to be almost exclusively derived from 14C leucine while only about 60% of the 3H activity found in the digesta of fistula I were shown to be bound to lysine. Labelled lysine and leucine (of endogenic origin) are absorbed into the small intestine at a slower rate (i.e. endogenic proteins are less efficiently digested) than the non-radioactive amino acids (of exogenic origin) so that a process of concentration of endogenic amino acids is observed towards the end of the small intestine.