Intestinal lipid absorption: evidence for an intrinsic defect of chylomicron secretion by normal rat distal intestine

Intracellular triglyceride accumulation and delayed chylomicron secretion were demonstrated in distal but not in proximal rat intestine following prolonged steady state fat absorption. After 1 and 4 hr of intraduodenal triolein infusion, the mucosal triglyceride content in distal intestinal segments was greatly increased compared with proximal segments. Electron microscopy at each time interval disclosed greater quantities of lipid droplets within the distal cells and these were much larger than the intracellular droplets in the proximal cells, some attaining an enormous size (9000 mum). When proximal and distal cells were compared at intervals after cessation of a 4 hr triolein infusion, the differences in intracellular lipid accumulation were also evident because, even after 6 hr the distal cells were still filled with large droplets, whereas the proximal cells were almost devoid of fat. These results indicate a basic cellular difference between proximal and distal intestine in the processing of fat and, in contrast to current concepts, suggest that defective chylomicron secretion is not necessarily associated with limited B-apoprotein availability.