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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Microgavage of Zebrafish Larvae
Published on: February 20, 2013
Rapid water transfer from extracellular to intracellular spaces following oral ingestion
Hiroyuki Terawaki1, Masahiko Y Kida2
1Clinical Laboratory Department, St. Luke's International University, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Advanced Community-Based Care for Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
Abstract:
Research on the effects of oral ingestion on extracellular and intracellular water balance is scarce. To measure the postprandial change in extracellular-intracellular water balance, 28 healthy adults (mean age 39 years, 20 women, 8 men) were recruited, and their extracellular-intracellular water distribution was measured at five time points: immediately before lunch (fasting), immediately after lunch (postprandial), and 30, 60, and 120 min after lunch using a BCM® body composition measuring device (Fresenius Medical Care, Germany). The results did not show significant changes in the total water volume, whereas the extracellular-intracellular distribution ratio decreased significantly from 0.7468 ± 0.0496 during fasting to 0.7376 ± 0.0473 during postprandial periods, which gradually increased over the next 120 min (0.7491 ± 0.0569). The estimated mean postprandial loss of extracellular fluid was 132 mL. Overall, oral ingestion promotes the transient transfer of body water from extracellular to intracellular spaces.
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