Intestinal glucose absorption in adrenalectomized rats: transport by isolated microvillous membrane vesicles

D-glucose uptake by microvillous membrane vesicles, isolated from the intestine of the adrenalectomized, control (pair-fed) and normal rat, and incubated in 1 mM D-[U-14C]-glucose was measured. No qualitative difference in the time course of transport in the presence of an initial gradient of NaSCN or KSCN (100 mM, out greater than in) was found among the different groups. The small but significant decrease of 50% equilibration time (t 1/2) of adrenalectomized rat vesicles was aspecific, being the same as that of control, pair-fed (semistarved) animals. Thus adrenalectomy did not modify the transport properties of the rat luminal enterocyte membrane.