title: Gastric absorption of D-xylose in the rat: its influence on the D-xylose absorption test.
abstract: Relatively high incidences of false-positive results of D-xylose absorption tests have been reported. Delayed gastric emptying is invariably listed as one important cause for such tests. However, this conclusion assumes that gastric absorption from the relatively concentrated D-xylose solutions used clinically is negligible. In our study, D-xylose was injected (0.5 gm/kg) into either the stomach or duodenum of rats that had undergone pyloric ligation. Blood xylose levels 30 minutes later were almost as high after intragastric administration (0.61 +/- 0.22 mmol/L) as they were after intraduodenal injection (0.65 +/- 0.16 mmol/L). A chymotrypsin-labile peptide (N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoate), given at the same time, was poorly absorbed from the stomach, as shown by the low plasma p-aminobenzoic acid levels (14 +/- 2 mumol/L vs. 158 +/- 22 mumol/L after intraduodenal injection). Intragastric absorption of xylose, therefore, did not appear to result from the surgical trauma of pyloric ligation. In rats given doses orally of the D-xylose, the peptide, and a nonabsorbable marker (phenol red), epinephrine and atropine both showed gastric emptying without any surgical trauma, decreased digestion and absorption of the peptide as expected, but did not significantly decrease xylose absorption. These results indicate that, at least in rats, D-xylose is absorbed from relatively concentrated solutions within the stomach. Consequently, circumstances that delay gastric emptying should not markedly decrease xylose absorption. Bacterial overgrowth and altered blood flow seem more likely causes for false-positive D-xylose absorption test results.
mesh_terms: D010129:4-Aminobenzoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014994:Xylose; D010129:4-Aminobenzoic Acid