Effect of diet on triolein absorption in weanling rats

To determine the effect of altered dietary fat intake on the rate of fat absorption in the intact animal, we fed male weanling rats either a high fat-low carbohydrate (HF-LC) (calories: 67% fat, 10% carbohydrate, 20% protein) or low fat-high carbohydrate (LF-HC) (calories: 10% fat, 67% carbohydrate, 20% protein) diet for 8 days. Absorption of [14C]triolein was estimated by determining 1) 14CO2 expiration in breath, 2) intestinal triglyceride output using Triton WR-1339, an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase, and 3) quantitating the disappearance of labeled triolein from the gastrointestinal tract. Changes in the activity of pancreatic lipase and amylase confirmed the adaptation to altered fat and carbohydrate intake. Animals fed the HF-LC diet exhibited approximately twofold greater triolein disappearance, oxidation, and intestinal triglyceride output compared with animals fed LF-HC. There was also a highly significant linear relationship between 14CO2 excretion and intestinal triglyceride output in both diet groups. These data show that high dietary fat content markedly enhances in vivo fat absorption in the weanling rat.