Changes in structural and functional properties of rat intestinal brush border membrane during starvation

Changes in surface area of microvilli, fluidity of brush border membrane and transport of L-amino acids through intestinal epithelial cells were studied in wellfed and starved (2,4 and 6 days) rats. The surface area of microvilli per unit area of intestinal epithelial cells increased during starvation. Studies with fluoroprobes - pyrene, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonate and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, showed increased fluidity of brush border membrane on progressive starvation. Transport of five amino acids representing five different transport systems was studied during starvation in everted intestinal sleeves. Transport of L-proline, glycine and L-glutamic acid which represent imino, glycine and acidic systems respectively increased significantly in Na+-dependent pathway whereas transport of L-lysine representing basic system increased significantly in Na+-independent pathway during starvation.