An electron microscope study of the intestinal absorption of medium chain and long chain triglycerides in the rat

The ultrastructural changes in the intestinal absorptive cells of the rat during the absorption of triglycerides, Particularly medium chain triglyceride (MCT), were studied by electron microscopy. In the absorptive cell of rats fed with MCT, the agranular endoplasmic reticulum in tubular form was remarkably proliferated throughout the cytoplasm as compared with that of fasting rats. The granular endoplasmic reticulum was mostly transformed into the same tubulo-vesicular form as the agranular endoplasmic reticulum. Chylomicra, which were consistently observed in the endoplasmic reticulum of the intestinal absorptive cell of rats fed with long chain triglyceride (LCT), did not appear in that of MCT-fed rats, although small lipid particles were noticed within it. The Golgi lamellae decreased in number and length. During the absorption of MCT, the central lacteal contained some lipid particles which were smaller in size than the chylomicron which appeared in the LCT-fed rats. These evidences might suggest that the majority of MCT administered was transported through the absorptive cell without reesterification in the endoplasmic reticulum into the portal vein system, and only a minor part of the MCT given was transported via the central lacteal after reesterification.