Effect of zinc on L-threonine transport across the jejunum of rabbit

Zinc uptake in five sectors of the rat gastrointestinal tract: kinetic study in the whole colon

PURPOSE

The uptake of zinc as acexamic acid salt in the rat gastrointestinal tract, using an in situ static technique, was studied. Our aim was to investigate an absorption window for zinc and the uptake kinetics in the colon.

METHODS

To detect selectivity phenomena in zinc absorption, buffered saline solutions of zinc (50 micrograms/ ml) were perfused in stomach, whole colon and three 33-cm fractions of the small intestine (proximal, middle and distal segments). To characterize zinc uptake kinetics in whole colon, five different zinc concentrations (5, 25, 50, 150 y 250 micrograms/ml) were assayed. Zinc secreted into the gastrointestinal tract during the experiments was deducted from the uptake.

RESULTS

Zinc secretion was characterized as an apparent zero-order process for all the studied segments (mean secretion rate = 0.10 +/- 0.03 microgram/(ml x min)). The stomach exhibited little ability to absorb zinc (apparent first order rate constant = 0.17 +/- 0.07 h-1), whereas the highest transport rates were found in the last two thirds of the small intestine and colon (first order constants: 0.66 +/- 0.13 h-1, 1.00 +/- 0.06 h-1, 0.97 +/- 0.14 h-1, 0.96 +/- 0.19 h-1 for proximal, middle, distal and colon segments, respectively). Zinc uptake in the colon was characterized by means of a Michaelis-Menten and first-order combined kinetics, with the following parameters: Vm = 0.36 +/- 0.02 microgram/(ml x min), Km = 18.01 +/- 0.40 microgram /ml and Ka = 0.40 +/- 0.01 h-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Zinc is preferably absorbed in the middle and distal parts of the rat gastrointestinal tract. In the colon a saturable mechanism may be involved in apparent absorption.

Inhibition of L-threonine intestinal absorption in rabbits by cadmium

Cadmium compounds are widely spread in the environment. Animal exposure to cadmium compounds occurs mainly through foods or drinks contaminated by this metal. Cadmium has been shown to produce several negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract such as inhibition on sugars and amino acids absorption. The aim of the present work was to study the inhibitory characteristics of cadmium on L-threonine intestinal absorption in rabbits in order to understand about this malabsorption of nutrients. Our results show that L-threonine tissue accumulation as well as mucosal to serosal transepithelial fluxes are decreased in a dose-dependent manner in rabbit jejunum. Amino acid diffusion across the intestinal epithelium was not affected by cadmium. A noncompetitive mechanism and a partial reversion by dithioerythritol (thiol groups protector) is described for this inhibition.

Calcium-cadmium interaction on sugar absorption across the rabbit jejunum

The element Cd is considered to have no biological function and is highly toxic to humans and animals. Toxic effects of this metal upon cell membrane structure and function have been shown. On the other hand, Ca is an essential element in a wide variety of cellular activities. The present study was initiated to research whether the interaction between Ca and Cd could affect D-galactose absorption across the rabbit jejunum in vitro. In media with Ca2+, when CdCl2 was present at 0.5 or 1 mM, Cd was found to significantly reduce the sugar absorption. In Ca2+ -free media, where CaCl2, was omitted and replaced isotonically with choline chloride, the sugar transport was not modified by Cd, but when CaCl2 was replaced isotonically with MgCl2, the inhibition is observed. Verapamil at 10(-6)M (blocking mainly Ca2+ transport) did not modify the inhibitory effect of cadmium on D-galactose transport. When 10(-6)M of A 23187 (Ca2+ specific ionophore) was added in media with/without Ca2+; CdCl2 produced no change in D-galactose transport. These results suggest that Ca and Cd could have affinity for the same chemical groups of enterocyte membrane, which would be related with the intestinal absorption of D-galactose.

Effect of zinc on aminopeptidase N activity and L-threonine transport in rabbit jejunum

Zinc is a nutritionally essential trace element required for many biological functions to be successfully carried out. The aim of the present work was to study the influence of zinc on the intestinal absorption of L-threonine and on the aminopeptidase N activity in rabbit jejunum, after in vitro addition and/or oral administration of ZnCl2 in drinking water. Results obtained show that zinc decreases L-threonine absorption in the jejunal tissue. This effect would appear to be owing to an action mainly located in active amino acid transport, because zinc does not seem to modify the amino acid diffusion across the intestinal epithelium, of the mucosal border of the intestinal epithelium. Zinc has also been shown to inhibit the (Na(+)-K+)-ATPase activity of the enterocyte, which might explain the inhibition of the L-threonine Na(+)-dependent transport. Nevertheless, a direct action of the zinc on carriers of active transport cannot be rejected. However, zinc did not significantly modify the aminopeptidase N activity in rabbit jejunum.

Study of interaction between calcium and zinc on D-galactose intestinal transport

Zinc is an essential trace element necessary to life. This metal may exert some of its physiological effects by acting directly on cellular membranes, either by altering permeability or by modulating the activity of membrane-bound enzymes. On the other hand, calcium is an essential element in a wide variety of cellular activities. The aim of the present work was to study a possible interaction between zinc and calcium on intestinal transport of D-galactose in jejunum of rabbit in vitro. In media with Ca2+, when ZnCl2 was present at 0.5 or 1 mM, zinc was found to reduce the D-galactose absorption significantly. In Ca(2+)-free media, where CaCl2 was omitted and replaced isotonically with choline chloride, the sugar transport was not modified by zinc. Verapamil at 10(-6) M (blocking mainly Ca2+ transport) did not modify the inhibitory effect of zinc on D-galactose transport. When 10(-6) M of A 23187 (Ca(2+)-specific ionophore) was added with/without Ca2+ to the media, ZnCl2 produced no change in sugar transport. These results could suggest a possible interaction of calcium and zinc for the same chemical groups of membrane, which could affect the intestinal absorption of sugars.

Interaction between calcium and zinc on L-threonine absorption in rabbit jejunum

The essential minerals calcium and zinc serve unique functions in higher organisms, and it is well recognized that homeostatic mechanisms are involved in regulating their metabolism. However, it has been reported that zinc, at higher concentrations (1 mM), inhibits intestinal absorption of sugars and amino acids. The aim of the present work was to determine whether the inhibitory effect on L-threonine absorption across the rabbit jejunum could be modified by calcium. In media with Ca2+, zinc significantly reduced L-threonine absorption. In Ca(2+)-free media, where calcium chloride was omitted and replaced isotonically with choline chloride, the amino acid transport was not modified by zinc, but when calcium chloride was replaced isotonically with magnesium chloride, the inhibition was observed. Verapamil (blocking mainly Ca2+ transport) did not modify the inhibitory effect of zinc on L-threonine transport. When A23187 (Ca(2+)-specific ionophore) was added in media with and without Ca2+, zinc produced no change in L-threonine transport. These results suggest that calcium and zinc could have an affinity with the same chemical groups of the enterocyte membrane, which would be related to the intestinal absorption of amino acids.