title: Effect of mucosal amino acids on SCC and Na and Cl fluxes in the porcine small intestine.
abstract: Most amino acids are, like glucose, co-transported with sodium and are thereby potential additives to oral rehydration solutions for the treatment of diarrhea. In this study the effects of mucosal amino acids on short-circuit current and Na and Cl fluxes in three segments of the porcine small intestine were studied. L-alanine, L-leucine, L-lysine, L-proline, L-phenylalanine and L-glutamine were added (chamber concentration of each amino acid was 20 mmol x l-1) to the mucosal side of stripped proximal, mid, and distal small intestine sheets mounted in Ussing chambers in glucose containing (16 mmol x l-1) bathing medium; electrical parameters and unidirectional fluxes were measured. The amino acids induced a significant elevation in mucosa to serosa flux and unaltered serosa to mucosa flux of Na in all three segments, resulting in significant elevation in net Na absorption in proximal (2.4 +/- 0.3 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 to 3.5 +/- 0.3 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1, P < 0.05), mid (5.9 +/- 0.5 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 to 8.1 +/- 0.7 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1, P < 0.05) and distal (5.9 +/- 0.6 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 to 8.3 +/- 0.7 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1, P < 0.05) small intestine. The mucosa to serosa Cl flux was significantly elevated in all three segments (P < 0.01) by amino acids abolishing the net Cl secretion in proximal (2.5 +/- 0.4 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 to 0.8 +/- 0.6 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1, P < 0.01) and mid (2.2 +/- 0.4 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 to 0.1 +/- 0.9 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1, P < 0.01) small intestine. The changes in SCC were carried by the electrogen Na absorption. In conclusion, the amino acids, in addition to glucose, stimulate Na absorption by about 1.0 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 in the proximal part, and 2.5 microEq x cm-2 x hr-1 in the mid and distal part of the small intestine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Grøndahl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skadhauge
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018118:Chloride Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D005973:Glutamine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D011392:Proline; D008239:Lysine; D000409:Alanine