title: Water permeability properties of the human small intestine in vitro: effects of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin.
abstract: The net absorptive water flux (Jw), the transepithelial potential difference (PD) and the short-circuit current (Isc) were simultaneously measured in the human small intestine in vitro with the following results: 1) An absorptive Jw was observed when the jejunum or the ileum were mounted between two identical standard solutions in the presence of an hydrostatic pressure gradient (delta P) of 13 cm of water (mucosal side positive). 2) The absorptive Jw was a linear function of the applied delta P or the imposed osmotic transepithelial gradient (delta Osm) in both intestinal segments. The hydrostatic (Phydr) and osmotic (Posm) permeabilities to water for jejunum and ileum were: 0.349 +/- 0.049 cm/s vs. 0.156 +/- 0.022 cm/s and 0.0012 +/- 0.0001 cm/s vs. 0.0019 +/- 0.0003, respectively. 3) A fraction of this absorptive Jw was independent of the presence of any hydrostatic, osmotic or chemical gradient and represented the transport associated to movement of water (Jwt). 4) PD and Isc values were similar in the jejunum and in the ileum but the transepithelial resistance (Rt) was significantly greater in ileum than in jejunum. 5) 2 micrograms/ml of E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) caused a significant inhibition of the absorptive Jw without modification of Phydr, Posm or Isc. 6) After STa treatment, the absorptive Jwt reverted to a secretory one in the jejunum. In the ileum, STa action caused a 48% decrease in the absorptive Jwt values.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibarra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kierbel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capurro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández Marty
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parisi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli); D014867:Water