Independence of transfer of solute and solvent across the rat ileum

ION TRANSPORT IN ISOLATED RABBIT ILEUM. II. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ACTIVE SODIUM AND ACTIVE SUGAR TRANSPORT

The addition of actively transported sugars to the solution bathing the mucosal surface of an in vitro preparation of distal rabbit ileum results in a rapid increase in the transmural potential difference, the short-circuit current, and the rate of active Na transport from mucosa to serosa. These effects are dependent upon the active transport of the sugar per se and are independent of the metabolic fate of the transported sugar. Furthermore, they are inhibited both by low concentrations of phlorizin in the mucosal solution and by low concentrations of ouabain in the serosal solution. The increase in the short-circuit current, ΔI_sc, requires the presence of Na in the perfusion medium and its magnitude is a linear function of the Na concentration. On the other hand, ΔI_sc is a saturable function of the mucosal sugar concentration which is consistent with Michaelis-Menten kinetics suggesting that the increase in active Na transport is stoichiometrically related to the rate of active sugar transport. An interpretation of these findings in terms of a hypothetical model for intestinal Na and sugar transport is presented.

ION TRANSPORT IN ISOLATED RABBIT ILEUM. I. SHORT-CIRCUIT CURRENT AND NA FLUXES

The transmural potential difference, short-circuit current, and Na fluxes have been investigated in an in vitro preparation of isolated rabbit ileum. When the tissue is perfused with a physiological buffer, the serosal surface is electrically positive with respect to the mucosal surface and the initial potential difference in the presence of glucose averages 9 mv. Unidirectional and net Na fluxes have been determined under a variety of conditions, and in each instance, most if not all of the simultaneously measured short-circuit current could be attributed to the active transport of Na from mucosa to serosa. Active Na transport is dependent upon the presence of intact aerobic metabolic pathways and is inhibited by low concentrations of ouabain in the serosal medium. A method is described for determining whether a unidirectional ionic flux is the result of passive diffusion alone, in the presence of active transport of that ion in the opposite direction. Using this method we have demonstrated that the serosa-to-mucosa flux of Na may be attributed to passive diffusion with no evidence for the presence of carrier-mediated exchange diffusion or the influence of solvent-drag.

Inhibitory effect of ouabain and acetazolamide on secretin-stimulated pancreatic exocrine secretion in anaesthetized dog

1. The effects of ouabain and acetazolamide on the secretion of pancreatic juice stimulated by secretin in anaesthetized dogs were investigated. 2. Intra-arterial injection of ouabain (1-10 micrograms) and acetazolamide (1-10 mg) caused dose-dependent decreases in the volume of pancreatic juice. When both drugs were added together, the inhibitory effects were significantly higher than for each drug alone. 3. The bicarbonate concentration in the pancreatic juice was decreased and the chloride concentration was increased by ouabain and acetazolamide, but sodium and protein concentrations were not modified. 4. The results suggest that the Na+,K+-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase activities play important roles in water and electrolyte secretion, and that ouabain and acetazolamide inhibit secretin-stimulated pancreatic secretion by acting on different systems in the exocrine cells in dogs.

Stimulation of active and passive sodium absorption by sugars in the human jejunum

The effects of glucose and fructose on water and sodium absorption in the human jejunum were compared to assess the relative contribution of active and passive sugar stimulation of sodium transport. The effect of fructose is assumed to be entirely passive, and the difference between the effects of fructose and glucose is assumed to be a measure of sugar-stimulated, active sodium absorption. Water and sodium movement with mannitol was the base line. Three sets of test solutions with differing sugar concentrations were studied. Fructose stimulated 66-100 per cent as much net sodium and water absorption as glucose. Fructose stimulated potassium absorption, whereas glucose stimulated potassium secretion. Urea absorption was stimulated by both sugars. Glucose and fructose stimulated sodium absorption when chloride was the major anion, but they had relatively little effect on net sodium movement when chloride was replaced by bicarbonate or sulfate. It is concluded that glucose stimulates passive and active sodium transport in the human jejunum. Stimulated active sodium absorption generates an electrical potential across the mucosa that causes sodium (and potassium) secretion and partly or completely nullifies the effect of active sodium transport on net sodium movement. Net sodium absorption sitmulated by glucose is mainly (66-100 per cent) the passive consequence of solvent flow. The accompanying anion determines the degree to which sugars stimulate sodium absorption (C1 greater than SO-4 greater than HCO3). The effects of bicarbonate and sugars on jejunal sodium absorption are not additive.

Mineral composition and rates of flow of effluent from the distal ileum of liquid-fed calves

1. Liquid-fed calves (aged 1(1/2)-4 months) examined more than five weeks after inserting a re-entrant fistula into the distal ileum, of normal sodium and potassium status and without abnormal gut infection, showed mean emergence rates from the ileum for sodium, potassium and water of 2.3 m-mole/hr, 0.38 m-mole/hr and 21 g/hr respectively after 16 hr fasting.2. Sodium and potassium emergence rates changed little when the residues from a milk or glucose-solution feed arrived at the distal ileum. When magnesium chloride was added to a glucose-solution feed an increase sometimes occurred but only in association with decreased small-intestine transit time.3. Widely differing sodium and potassium intakes had no appreciable direct effect on their emergence rates. Continued feeding of a diet deficient in either ion, however, altered the calf's metabolism and led to appropriate changes in the sodium/potassium ratio of ileal effluent. These changes were not simulated by injecting adrenal cortex hormones. The ratio also decreased when ileal effluent was allowed to discharge for several weeks without being returned to the colon. It was abnormally high in samples obtained less than five weeks after inserting cannulae.4. An increase in sodium and potassium emergence rates, which often occurred spontaneously at about 3 months of age, appeared to be due to infection and was usually prevented by giving aureomycin orally.5. Water emergence rate reflected changes in the emergence rates of osmotically effective constituents and isotonicity was maintained. In effluent after fasting, the cations involved were mainly sodium and potassium, and [Na] + [K] was approximately constant (mean 132 m-mole/l.). In effluent following feeds of milk or glucose, magnesium chloride solution, [Na] + [K] was depressed and [Na] + [K] + 1.5 [Mg] was approximately constant (mean 139 m-mole/l.). Magnesium behaved as it were mainly ionic. Calcium had no apparent osmotic effect and was probably insoluble.6. Bicarbonate was the major anion in ileal effluent after a milk feed with smaller amounts of chloride, phosphate and some other unknown anion(s).