Analysis of glycylsarcosine transport by lobster intestine using gas chromatography

Gas chromatography was used to measure transepithelial transport of glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) by perfused lobster (Homarus americanus) intestine. Unidirectional and net fluxes of dipeptide across the tissue and luminal factors affecting their magnitude and direction were characterized by perfusing the lumen with the dipeptide and measuring its appearance in saline on the serosal side of the organ. Transmural transport of 10 mM Gly-Sar resulted in serosal accumulation of only the dipeptide; no appearance of corresponding monomeric amino acids glycine or sarcosine was observed. Carrier-mediated and diffusional transmural intestinal transport of Gly-Sar was estimated at 1-15 mM luminal concentrations and followed a curvilinear equation providing a K m = 0.44 ± 0.17 mM, a J max = 1.27 ± 0.12 nmol cm(-2) min(-1), and a diffusional coefficient = 0.026 ± 0.008 nmol cm(-2) min(-1) mM(-1). Unidirectional mucosal to serosal and serosal to mucosal fluxes of 10 mM Gly-Sar provided a significant (p < 0.05) net absorptive flux toward the serosa of 3.54 ± 0.77 nmol cm(-2) min(-1), further supporting carrier-mediated dipeptide transport across the gut. Alkaline (pH 8.5) luminal pH more than doubled transmural Gly-Sar transport as compared to acidic (pH 5.5) luminal pH, while luminal amino acid-metal chelates (e.g., Leu-Zn-Leu), and high concentrations of amino acids alone significantly (p < 0.001) reduced intestinal Gly-Sar transfer by inhibiting carrier transport of the dipeptide. Proposed mechanisms accounting for intestinal dipeptide transport and luminal factors affecting this process are discussed.