A high linoleic acid diet diminishes enhanced intestinal uptake of sugars in diabetic rats

Aging and the intestine

Over the lifetime of the animal, there are many changes in the function of the body’s organ systems. In the gastrointestinal tract there is a general modest decline in the function of the esophagus, stomach, colon, pancreas and liver. In the small intestine, there may be subtle alterations in the intestinal morphology, as well as a decline in the uptake of fatty acids and sugars. The malabsorption may be partially reversed by aging glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP2) or dexamethasone. Modifications in the type of lipids in the diet will influence the intestinal absorption of nutrients: for example, in mature rats a diet enriched with saturated as compared with polysaturated fatty acids will enhance lipid and sugar uptake, whereas in older animals the opposite effect is observed. Thus, the results of studies of the intestinal adaptation performed in mature rats does not necessarily apply in older animals. The age-associated malabsorption of nutrients that occurs with aging may be one of the several factors which contribute to the malnutrition that occurs with aging.

Apical GLUT2: a major pathway of intestinal sugar absorption

Understanding the mechanisms that determine postprandial fluctuations in blood glucose concentration is central for effective glycemic control in the management of diabetes. Intestinal sugar absorption is one such mechanism, and studies on its increase in experimental diabetes led us to propose a new model of sugar absorption. In the apical GLUT2 model, the glucose transported by the Na(+)/glucose cotransporter SGLT1 promotes insertion of GLUT2 into the apical membrane within minutes, so that the mechanism operates during assimilation of a meal containing high-glycemic index carbohydrate to provide a facilitated component of absorption up to three times greater than by SGLT1. Here we review the evidence for the apical GLUT2 model and describe how apical GLUT2 is a target for multiple short-term nutrient-sensing mechanisms by dietary sugars, local and endocrine hormones, cellular energy status, stress, and diabetes. These mechanisms suggest that apical GLUT2 is a potential therapeutic target for novel dietary or pharmacological approaches to control intestinal sugar delivery and thereby improve glycemic control.