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Sugar absorption by foetal and neonatal rat intestine in vitro
Insights
Active sugar absorption is present in fetal rat intestines by 17 days of gestation. Postnatal development shows variations in uptake, with distribution of sugar carriers, not carrier changes, explaining absorption differences.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Developmental Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- The developing gastrointestinal tract undergoes significant functional maturation.
- Understanding nutrient absorption during fetal and neonatal periods is crucial for developmental studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ontogeny of active sugar absorption in the rat intestine.
- To characterize the developmental changes in sugar uptake capacity and localization.
Main Methods:
- In vitro accumulation technique was employed to assess sugar absorption.
- Kinetic studies were performed to analyze the underlying mechanisms of absorption variations.
Main Results:
- Active sugar absorption capacity is detectable by the 17th day of gestation in rat intestine.
- Significant variations in sugar uptake occur during the first month postpartum, peaking in the first week.
- The adult pattern of functional localization along the intestine is established after the third week postpartum.
Conclusions:
- The rat intestine possesses the machinery for active sugar absorption early in development.
- Age-related variations in intestinal sugar absorption are primarily attributed to changes in the distribution of sugar transporters along the intestine, rather than alterations in transporter characteristics.
Abstract:
1. Sugar absorption by foetal and neonatal rat intestine has been examined using an in vitro accumulation technique. 2. The capacity for active sugar absorption is present in the rat intestine by the 17th day of gestation. Considerable variation in uptake occurs during the first month post partum; the greatest uptake place during the first week. 3. The absorption of sugars by the developing gut resembles in several respects that by the mature intestine. However, the adult pattern of functional localization along the intestine is not fully established until after the 3rd week post partum. 4. Kinetic studies indicate that variations with age in the distribution of sugar "carriers' along the intestine, rather than changes in the "carriers' themselves, account for the observed variations in absorption.