Effect of brefeldin A on lymphatic triacylglycerol transport in the rat

Brefeldin A (BFA) has been shown in in vitro studies to either collapse the Golgi into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or the peripheral organelles into the trans-Golgi network. Our goal was to determine the effect of BFA on intestinal lipid transport, since the Golgi is thought to play an important role in this process and simultaneously establish the effectiveness of BFA in an in vivo system. We infused rats intraduodenally with glyceryl tri-[3H]oleate at 135 mumol/h for 15 h and included BFA, 750 micrograms/h, during hours 4-7 of infusion. Mass and lipid disintegrations per minute output into the lymph fell to 9% of input rates at 8 h of infusion and returned to steady-state values at 12 h of infusion. Both chylomicron and very low-density lipoprotein output were severely affected by the BFA. Electron microscopy showed that the Golgi was collapsed into the ER. Mucosal triacylglycerol (TG) mass and disintegrations per minute were increased at 7 h of infusion in BFA infused rats vs. controls in the proximal half of the intestine. Lipid absorption, lipase activity, and mucosal TG synthesis were normal in the BFA-treated rats. We conclude that BFA works in vivo and in the intestine collapses the Golgi into the ER. As a consequence, lymphatic TG transport was severely affected.