Changes of sugar-evoked transmural potential differences in intestine of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes

The changes of the transmural electrical potential difference (delta PD) evoked by infusion of glucose, maltose and sucrose and the disaccharidase activities in the everted intestine were studied in diabetic rats. After the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin, delta PDs evoked by sugars and the enzyme activities were observed in the jejunum and ileum. delta PDs evoked by glucose, maltose and sucrose markedly increased both in the jejunum and ileum of diabetic rats. The Kt values for these sugars in diabetic rats were the same as those of control rats. The Vmax values were significantly increased in the ileum of diabetic rats. Maltase and sucrase activities in the ileum increased in diabetic rats. Highly significant linear correlations were found between the delta PDs evoked by glucose and the delta PDs evoked by maltose or sucrose both in the jejunum and ileum of control and diabetic rats. However, delta PDs evoked by maltose and sucrose did not correlate with maltase and sucrase activities in the jejunum. In the ileum, delta PDs evoked by sucrose correlated with the sucrase activity which was very low. These results suggest that the increase of transport of glucose derived from disaccharides in the diabetes induced by streptozotocin is mainly due to the increased activity of the glucose transport system, but not due to the increase of disaccharidase activities.