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Water pumps.

Donald D F Loo1, Ernest M Wright, Thomas Zeuthen

  • 1Department of Physiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA. dloo@mednet.ucla.edu

The Journal of Physiology
|July 4, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Water cotransport with sodium and glucose explains half of human intestinal water absorption. This discovery challenges existing models and suggests a broader role for cotransporters in nutrient and water transport.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Water transport across epithelia is a poorly understood physiological process.
  • Existing models propose osmosis driven by ion transport, but evidence is lacking in the small intestine.
  • Intestinal water absorption is significantly enhanced by glucose, forming the basis of oral rehydration therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of water transport across the intestinal brush border.
  • To explore the direct link between sodium-glucose cotransport and water movement.
  • To present evidence for water cotransport as a significant contributor to intestinal water absorption.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the intestinal brush border Na+-glucose cotransporter.
  • Investigated the relationship between solute transport (Na+, glucose) and water transport.
  • Reviewed existing literature and proposed a model for water cotransport.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests direct cotransport of water along with sodium and glucose across the human intestinal brush border membrane.
  • This water cotransport mechanism accounts for approximately 50% of total water transport.
  • No direct evidence for local osmosis or aquaporin expression in enterocytes was found.

Conclusions:

  • Water cotransport is a significant mechanism for intestinal water absorption.
  • This mechanism involves the enzymatic turnover of the Na+-glucose cotransporter.
  • Water cotransport may be a general property of cotransporters with implications for various biological systems.

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