title: Neutral amino acid transport by isolated small intestinal cells from guinea pigs.
abstract: Neutral amino acid transport was examined by using isolated enterocytes. Cells transport L-alanine by at least three different mechanisms: two Na(+)-dependent systems (A and ASC) and one Na(+)-independent mechanism (system L), in addition to passive entry. System A was characterized acterized by measuring the Na(+)-dependent alpha-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB) uptake. Na(+)-dependent MeAIB uptake was concentrative and saturable. Vmax was obtained at 80mM Na+ in the incubation medium and Kt app for Na+ was 21.5 mM. Kt app for MeAIB was 6.75 +/- 0.37 mM and the Vmax was 14.2 +/- 0.3 nmol.mg-1.min-1. System ASC was studied by evaluating the Na(+)-dependent L-alanine uptake, insensitive to MeAIB and inhibitable by L-serine and L-cysteine. Uptake by this mechanism was also concentrative and saturable. Maximal uptake was obtained with 80 mM Na+ in the incubation medium and Kt app for Na+ was 29.7 mM. Kt app for L-alanine was 7.02 +/- 0.61 mM and Vmax was 5.44 +/- 0.19 nmol.mg-1.min-1. The Na(+)-independent system L was studied by measuring cycloleucine uptake in Na(+)-free medium. It had a saturable and a nonsaturable component. Only the saturable component was concentrative; it was inhibited by 2-amino-2-norbornanecarboxylic acid and was capable of mediating exchange diffusion. Kt app for cycloleucine was 4.05 +/- 0.72 mM and the Vmax was 31.9 +/- 1.3 nmol.mg-1.min-1. These results confirm the existence of Na(+)-dependent systems A and ASC and Na(+)-independent system L in isolated enterocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiología Gastrointestinal Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Del Castillo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muñiz
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002469:Cell Separation; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D012964:Sodium; D000409:Alanine