Non-starch polysaccharides extracted from seaweed can modulate intestinal absorption of glucose and insulin response in the pig.

We have investigated the possible effects of algal polysaccharides on postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses in an animal model, the pig. Three seaweed fibres of different viscosities, extracted from Palmaria palmata (PP), Eucheuma cottonii (EC), or Laminaria digitata (LD), were compared to purified cellulose (CEL). Blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were monitored and intestinal absorption quantified for 8 h following a high carbohydrate test-meal supplemented with 5% fibre. Digestive contents were also sampled, 5 h postprandial. As compared to CEL, PP had no effect on glucose and insulin responses. The latter decreased with EC, but glucose absorption balance was not modified. LD addition resulted in a dramatically reduced glucose absorption balance, accompanied by a higher amount of starch left in the small intestine. Among polysaccharides tested, only the highly viscous alginates could affect intestinal absorption of glucose and insulin response.

Maturational changes of endothelial vasoactive factors and pulmonary vascular tone at birth.

The aim of this study was to determine which endothelial factors were involved in the decrease of pulmonary vascular resistance at birth, and how they changed with maturation. Response of intrapulmonary artery rings precontracted with prostaglandin F2alpha were studied from piglets aged <2 h, 2-3 day, 10 day and adult pigs for pharmacological responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and cromakalim (CMK) in the presence and the absence of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA), the adenosine triphosphate sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel blocker, glibenclamide and the endothelin (ET)-A receptor antagonist, BQ123. In situ hybridization and immunochemistry studies were performed in lung tissues of the same animals in order to determine the expression of NOS and ET. There was a small contractile effect of ACh in the newborn. Relaxation to ACh, which was blocked by L-NA and reduced by glibenclamide, only appeared from the age of 3 days. The significantly greater relaxation to CMK in rings without endothelium (p<0.05) was abolished by BQ123 in the newborn, and then disappeared by 2 days of age. Glibenclamide had a greater inhibitory effect on relaxation induced by CMK at 10 days than in the newborn and 2 days old piglets. NOS expression was low in pulmonary arteries of the newborn and increased by 2 days of age whereas the converse was seen with ET expression. It is concluded that: 1) relaxant response to acetylcholine was absent at birth and appeared at 2 days; 2) the reduced relaxant response to cromakalin in rings with endothelium at birth could be blocked by BQ123; and 3) the expression of endothelin decreased whereas the expression of nitric oxide synthase increased from birth to 2 days of age.

Portal hyperglutamatemia after dietary supplementation with monosodium glutamate in pigs.

The aim of the present work was to examine in pigs the effect of a dietary supplementation with the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) on intestinal amino acid metabolism. For this purpose, pigs weighing 60 +/- 2 kg received a standard meal twice a day for 1 week, supplemented with either 10 g MSG per meal or, as control experiments, an isonitrogenous amount of glycine together with an equal amount of sodium in the form of NaCl, the animals being their own control in all experiments. At the end of this period, pigs received a MSG or glycine-NaCl-supplemented meal and samples of portal and arterial blood were collected for amino acid analysis in plasma. The results demonstrate after MSG supplementation rapid significant increases in glutamate concentration in the portal and arterial blood plasma after a test meal which resulted in a positive portoarterial difference. In comparison, after glycine-NaCl supplementation, glutamate concentrations were almost identical in portal and arterial plasma. Furthermore, significant increased aspartate concentration in the portal blood plasma was observed after MSG supplementation when compared with control experiments. When enterocytes were isolated at the end of the supplementation period from the jejunum and examined for their metabolic capacities towards L-glutamate and L-glutamine, it was found that metabolism did not differ according to the supplement used, with glutamate and glutamine being oxidized and transaminated at a similar level. It is concluded that the portal hyperglutamatemia observed shortly after the ingestion of a MSG- supplemented meal is likely due to the saturation of the intestinal capacity to metabolize glutamate with no measurable adaptation of the metabolic pathways controlling glutamate metabolism in enterocytes.

Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp to assess posthepatic glucose appearance after carbohydrate loading. 1. Validation in pigs.

BACKGROUND: Precise knowledge of the rate of glucose absorption after meal feeding requires invasive methods in humans. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate in an animal model a technique combining the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and oral carbohydrate loading (OC-Clamp) as a noninvasive procedure to quantify the posthepatic appearance of glucose after oral carbohydrate loading. DESIGN: Twenty-one pigs were fitted with arterial, jugular, portal, and duodenal catheters and a portal blood flow probe. At glucose clamp steady state, duodenal glucose (0.9 g/kg; DG-Clamp) and oral carbohydrate (140 g corn or mung bean starch as part of a mixed meal; OC-Clamp) were administered while the glucose infusion was progressively reduced to compensate for the incremental posthepatic appearance of glucose. [3-3H]glucose was used to assess the glucose turnover rate. RESULTS: Hepatic glucose production was totally suppressed by insulin infusion, and the whole-body glucose turnover rate remained stable during glucose absorption. The incremental portal appearance of glucose after the DG load was not altered by hyperinsulinemia, and the cumulative posthepatic appearance of glucose was 63 +/- 3% (x +/- SEM) of the DG load. The net hepatic portal appearance of glucose remained constant during absorption (34 +/- 3% of the load). After the OC load, the respective portal appearance rates of glucose were significantly different between carbohydrate sources; however, the rates paralleled those of the posthepatic appearance of glucose. Again, net hepatic glucose uptake expressed as portal appearance was similar for both carbohydrates. CONCLUSIONS: The results validate the OC-Clamp method to monitor the posthepatic appearance of glucose after carbohydrate ingestion and to discriminate between different carbohydrate sources. The results suggest that the technique be used in humans.

Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp to assess posthepatic glucose appearance after carbohydrate loading. 2. Evaluation of corn and mung bean starches in healthy men.

BACKGROUND: The rate of absorption of glucose from carbohydrates is important in several aspects of health. We recently validated a noninvasive technique in pigs, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp plus oral carbohydrate loading (OC-Clamp), to quantify the rate of net posthepatic appearance of glucose after ingestion of carbohydrates. OBJECTIVE: The OC-Clamp procedure was performed in 8 healthy men to compare the net posthepatic appearance of glucose after ingestion of 1 of 3 carbohydrates. DESIGN: Human volunteers underwent the OC-Clamp procedure at an insulin infusion rate of 1.5 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1) (n = 5). The oral carbohydrate load (1 g/kg) consisted of glucose, cornstarch, or mung bean starch. During the OC-Clamp procedure, the glucose infusion rate decreased during absorption to maintain plasma glucose steady state and the decrease reflected the net posthepatic appearance of glucose. In addition, carbohydrates were loaded without insulin infusion (n = 6) and glycemic indexes were calculated (with glucose as the reference). RESULTS: The mean (+/-SEM) glycemic index of cornstarch was higher (95 +/- 18) than that of mung bean starch (51 +/- 13). In the OC-Clamp experiments, the posthepatic appearance of glucose and cornstarch did not differ significantly and represented 79.4 +/- 5.0% and 72.6 +/- 4.0%, respectively, of the load after complete absorption (within 3 h). In contrast, the net posthepatic appearance of glucose from mung bean starch was significantly lower (35.6 +/- 4.6% of the load, P < 0.001) than that from glucose and cornstarch, even 4.5 h postprandially. CONCLUSIONS: The OC-Clamp technique allows a continuous assessment of net posthepatic appearance of glucose after ingestion of carbohydrates and significant discrimination between corn and mung bean starches.

GLUT2 and hexokinase control proximodistal gradient of intestinal glucose metabolism in the newborn pig.

We have reported previously that a high glycolytic capacity develops soon after birth in enterocytes isolated from suckling newborn pigs. In the present work, we investigated whether such metabolic changes could affect intestinal glucose utilization in vivo and examined possible variations in glucose metabolism along the small intestine. Glucose utilization by individual tissues was assessed using the 2-deoxyglucose technique. The overall glucose utilization rate was doubled in suckling vs. fasting 2-day-old pigs because of significantly higher rates in all tissues studied, except for the brain. In parallel, enterocytes were isolated from the proximal, medium, or distal jejunoileum of newborn vs. 2-day-old pigs and assessed for their capacity to utilize, transport, and phosphorylate glucose. Intestinal glucose consumption accounted for approximately 15% of glucose turnover rate in suckling vs. 8% in fasting pigs. Moreover, there was a proximal-to-distal gradient of glucose utilization in the intestinal mucosa of suckling pigs. Such a gradient was also evidenced on isolated enterocytes. The stimulation of both hexokinase activity (HK2 isoform) and basolateral glucose transporter (GLUT2), as observed in the proximal jejunum, could account for such a site-specific effect of suckling.

Intestinal oxygen uptake and glucose metabolism during nutrient absorption in the pig.

Intestinal transport of nutrients coincides with their partial catabolism in the gut. The aim of the present study was to measure intestinal oxygen consumption and nutrient metabolism after a meal or during a short fast. Nutrient and oxygen balances across the small intestine were measured in conscious 50 kg (live wt) pigs. Jejunal enterocytes were also isolated from 1-hr postprandial, postabsorptive, or 3-day fasted pigs, in order to evaluate their capacities to metabolize 5 mM glucose and 2 mM glutamine. Whatever the nutritional state, intestinal oxygen consumption was high, since 26 +/- 2% (n = 6) of the oxygen arterial supply was extracted by the small intestine. Furthermore, the consumption of a mixed meal induced a rapid and transient rise in oxygen consumption. In the postabsorptive state, the intestinal uptake of glucose (0.31 +/- 0.08 mmole/min, n = 6) was twice higher than that of glutamine. The role of glucose as a fuel was also evidenced after a 3-day fast. During nutrient absorption, glutamine was highly utilized, and lactate was produced. The capacity of enterocytes isolated from fed pigs to metabolize glucose was dramatically reduced, as was 6-phosphofructo 1-kinase activity. In contrast, intestinal muscle presented a high glycolytic capacity from glucose, suggesting that the main site of intestinal lactate production during nutrient absorption would be the muscular rather than the epithelial layer.

Intestinal absorption and liver uptake of medium-chain fatty acids in non-anaesthetized pigs.

In order to study the rate of intestinal absorption and hepatic uptake of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), six growing pigs, mean body weight 65 kg, were fitted with a permanent fistula in the duodenum and with three catheters in the portal vein, carotid artery and hepatic vein respectively. Two electromagnetic flow probes were also set up, one around the portal vein and one around the hepatic artery. A mixture of octanoic and decanoic acids, esterified as medium-chain triacylglycerols, together with maltose dextrine and a nitrogenous fraction was continuously infused for 1 h into the duodenum. Samples of blood were withdrawn from the three vessels at regular intervals for 12 h and further analysed for their non-esterified octanoic and decanoic acid contents. The concentration of non-esterified octanoic and decanoic acids in the portal blood rose sharply after the beginning of each infusion and showed a biphasic time-course with two maximum values, one after 15 min and a later one between 75 and 90 min. Only 65% of octanoic acid infused into the duodenum and 54% of decanoic acid were recovered in the portal flow throughout each experiment. The amounts of non-esterified MCFA taken up per h by the liver were close to those absorbed from the gut via the portal vein within the same periods of time, showing that the liver is the main site of utilization of MCFA in pigs. These results have been discussed with a special emphasis laid on the possible mechanisms of the biphasic time-course of MCFA absorption and the incomplete recovery in the portal blood of the infused fatty acids.

Splanchnic fluxes of amino acids after duodenal infusion of carbohydrate solutions containing free amino acids or oligopeptides in the non-anaesthetized pig.

Seven non-anaesthetized pigs (mean body-weight 64.6 kg) were used to study the intestinal absorption and hepatic metabolism of glucose and amino acids (AA) using carbohydrate solutions (maltose dextrin; 440 g/2 I), containing 110 g of either an enzymic milk-protein hydrolysate (PEP) with a large percentage of small peptides (about 50% with less than five AA residues) and very few free AA (8%) or a mixture of free AA (AAL) with an identical pattern, infused intraduodenally. Each pig was previously fitted under anaesthesia with electromagnetic flow probes around the portal vein and the hepatic artery, and with permanent catheters in the portal vein, carotid artery, one hepatic vein and the duodenum. Each solution was infused for 1 h after a fasting period (18 h) and each pig received both solutions at 8 d intervals. The observation period lasted 8 h. For most AA (his, lys, phe, thr, arg, tyr, pro) the absorption rate after infusion of PEP was significantly higher than after that of AAL during the 1st hour, but the differences quickly disappeared. After 8 h, the only differences concerned his and tyr (PEP > AAL) and met, glu and asp (AAL > PEP). There was a large uptake of blood AA by gut-wall cells, higher after AAL infusion than after PEP infusion, particularly for branched-chain AA (BCAA). The absorption of ammonia-nitrogen after both infusions was equivalent to two-thirds of urea-N passing from blood to intestinal tissues and lumen. Glucose absorbed within 8 h represented only 76% (PEP) or 69% (AAL) of the infused amounts. The cumulative hepatic total AA (TAA) uptake increased from 13 to 27% of the infused amounts between the 1st and the 8th hour after PEP infusion, and from 8 to 31% after AAL infusion. Most essential AA were largely taken up by the liver, with the exception of met (PEP) and thr and of BCAA, which were poorly retained for both solutions; there was a high uptake of ala and gly, and a release of asp, glu, and gln. Urea-N released by the liver within 8 h was equivalent to 23-25% absorbed amino-N and to around 1.5 times ammonia-N taken up by the liver within 8 h. Glucose was highly taken up by the liver during the first hours then released, the total uptake within 8 h representing about half the absorbed amount.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Comparative digestion of maltitol and maltose in unanesthetized pigs.

Four Large White pigs (mean body weight 62.8 +/- 0.6 kg) were fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein, carotid artery and duodenum, and with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein. Eight days after surgery each animal received at 4-d intervals two duodenal infusions for 1 h each of solutions (1000 mL) containing 110 g of mild enzymic milk protein hydrolysate and 440 g of either a maltose-rich glucose syrup (54.6% maltose, 5.2% free glucose) or a maltitol-rich hydrogenated glucose syrup (54.2% maltitol, 6% free sorbitol). For 8 h after the beginning of each infusion, portal blood flow rate was recorded continuously, and blood samples were collected at various intervals (15 to 30 min) for the analysis of aminonitrogen, glucose and sorbitol. Maltitol was hydrolyzed substantially in the small gut. The absorption coefficient of glucose (percentage of infused glucose appearing in the portal blood) was the same 8 h after infusion of maltitol (78.1%) and maltose (78.8%). Sorbitol was poorly absorbed, with an absorption coefficient of 7.2% after 8 h. Its presence in the gut lumen did not inhibit the absorption of glucose. Aminonitrogen from milk oligopeptides appeared more rapidly in the portal vein during the first 4 h after infusion of maltitol than after that of maltose. This was probably due to a reduced competition between absorption of glucose and oligopeptides because of the smaller amount of glucose in the digestive lumen after maltitol hydrolysis.

Hepatic and portal-drained viscera balances of amino acids, insulin, glucagon and gastrin in the pig after ingestion of casein or rapeseed proteins.

Hepatic and intestinal balances of amino acids, insulin, glucagon and gastrin were studied in 6 non-anaesthetized Large White pigs (mean body weight 64 +/- 4.8 kg) after ingestion of casein or rapeseed proteins. The animals were fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein, the brachiocephalic artery and the right hepatic vein. In addition, 2 electromagnetic flow probes were implanted, one around the portal vein and the other around the hepatic artery. After a preliminary adaptation to each diet the animals received at 1-wk intervals and according to a double latin square design, 3 test meals of 800 g each, one containing 23.2% of rapeseed concentrate (diet RA 12) and the others 13.9 or 27.8% of hydrochloric casein (diets CA 12 and CA 24). Each observation period lasted 12 h. Amino acids from all diets were very well absorbed. In 12 h, the absorption of total amino acids as a percentage of the ingested quantities was 99% for CA 12, 102% for CA 24 and 104% for RA 12. Hepatic uptake of total amino acids in 12 h expressed as a percentage of the absorbed quantities was 13% for CA 12, 66% for CA 24 and 25% for RA 12. Differences in the hepatic extraction rate of essential amino acids appeared between the 2 levels of casein ingestion and for Arg between the 2 protein sources. Whatever the nature of the ingested protein or the level of casein, the liver showed a net production of Asp and Glu. The production and hepatic balance of insulin were the lowest after ingestion of RA 12. No differences were noted in the same parameters for glucagon and gastrin. Independently of the nutritional situation, the hepatic extraction rate of insulin appeared to be higher than those of glucagon and gastrin. Our results showed that the nature as well as the level of dietary proteins have large effects on the sequence and volume of absorptive phenomena, the hepatic metabolism of nutrients, the production of gastrointestinal hormones and the non-hepatic tissue disposal of absorbed nutrients.

Exogenous and endogenous contributions to nitrogen fluxes in the digestive tract of pigs fed a casein diet. II. Ileal and faecal digestibilities and absorption of amino acids.

The present work aimed at quantifying nitrogen (N) and amino acid (AA) fluxes in the digestive tract of growing pigs fed a casein diet. In this paper we report on digesta passage at the terminal ileum, on apparent balances at the ileal and faecal levels, and on nutrients appearance in the portal vein. Digesta flow-rate at the terminal ileum was maximum between 6 and 12 h after the meal. About 10% of N and 5% of total AA ingested were recovered within 24 h. AA absorption started 30 min after the meal, and was measurable until 13 to 14 h. The total AA absorbed in 24 h accounted for 128% of the AA ingested. The AA composition of ileal digesta was very different from that of casein, closely resembling that of endogenous proteins. The AA composition of faeces was very close to that of bacterial proteins. The ileal digestibilities of AA, though lower than their faecal values, were very high. This was confirmed by AA absorption balances greater than 100%. These data suggest that casein was almost totally digested by the terminal ileum, and that endogenous AA were substantially reabsorbed. These findings are supported by data on endogenous N recycling (15N), reported in a following paper.

Kinetics and balance of glucose and galactose appearance in the portal blood after intake of lactose or hydrolysed lactose in conscious pigs.

Five pigs (mean body weight: 66.2 kg) were fitted with portal and arterial catheters and an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein. One week after the surgical operation, each animal was successively fed, at 3-day intervals, with two experimental meals containing 392 g dry matter either from hydrolysed or non-hydrolysed lactose together with a protein-mineral-vitamin mixture (200 g). Portal and arterial blood concentrations of glucose, galactose and amino nitrogen were measured together with the portal blood flow rate during a postprandial period of 8 h after the intake of these experimental meals. Amounts of hexoses appearing in the portal blood after hydrolysed-lactose intake were 3- and 2-fold larger within 2 and 8 h, respectively, than after non-hydrolysed-lactose intake. Thus, enzymatic hydrolysis in the intestine is the limiting factor of lactose digestion in unadapted pigs. Whatever the type of lactose ingested, glucose appeared more rapidly and in larger amounts in the portal blood than galactose. After hydrolysed-lactose intake, the amount of glucose appearing in the portal blood exceeded the amount ingested already after 5 h. This means that a fraction of galactose was transformed into glucose during the transport by the enterocyte.

Absorption kinetics of dietary hydrolysis products in conscious pigs given diets with different amounts of fish protein. 1. Amino-nitrogen and glucose.

1. Concentrations of amino-nitrogen, glucose, reducing sugars and lactic acid in blood obtained from arterial and portal permanent catheters were measured together with the portal hepatic blood flow-rate during a post-prandial period of 8 h in twenty unanaesthetized pigs (initial mean body-weight 52.3 (SEM 0.9) kg) receiving experimental meals (200-1000 g) at 3-4 d intervals from 6-8 to 20 d after surgical implantation of the catheters and electromagnetic flow probe. The semi-synthetic starch-based diets contained variable amounts of fish meal given crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25; CP) concentrations (g CP/kg) of 80 (seven meals), 120 (twenty-two meals), 160 (six meals) and 240 (nine meals). 2. After the meal the concentration of amino-N increased with increasing levels of protein intake and increased more in the portal than in the arterial blood. There were significant relations between amounts of amino-N appearing in the portal blood at various time-intervals after the meal and the level of protein intake. Values for the ratio, amount absorbed within 8 h: amount ingested (absorption coefficient: 0.633 for a mean intake of 13.4 g N) decreased with increasing level of protein intake. 3. There was a rise in glycaemia after the meal, increasing with the amount of carbohydrate eaten, and this was more marked in the portal than in the arterial blood. There were also significant relations between amounts of glucose absorbed and amounts of starch ingested. However, the appearance of glucose in the portal blood was less marked than that of amino-N since the absorption coefficient within 8 h was lower (0.504 for a mean intake of 291 g reducing sugars). This was most probably due to a larger uptake of glucose by the intestinal cell wall. 4. Amounts of lactic acid appearing in the portal vein during the post-prandial period did not depend on amounts ingested; they ranged from 3 to 1.6 g/h from the 1st to the 8th hour after the meal.

Quantitative measurement of endogenous amino acid absorption in unanaesthetized pigs.

The present experiment was carried out with 11 pigs (mean body weight: 53.9 +/- 1.3 kg) fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery and with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein. They were each subjected to 2 or 3 trials at 3 to 4-day intervals. During each trial the animals received after a previous fasting of 20 h a given amount of a protein-free diet (200 to 1200 g). The blood was collected either continuously for a quantitative determination of amino nitrogen, reducing sugars, urea and ammonia (number of meals 12, mean intake: 727 +/- 60 g) or discontinuously every 30 min between 0 and 8 h after the meal for amino acid analysis (number of meals 8; mean intake 709 +/- 105 g). A rather constant appearance (2 g/h) of amino acids in the portal blood was observed throughout the postprandial period. The intestinal absorption of each amino acid was however variable and represented between 10 and 50% of the daily requirements of the animal during the measuring period (8 h). Glutamine and to a less extent glutamic acid were exceptions as they were taken up by the gut wall from the arterial blood. There was also a marked synthesis of ornithine and citrulline by the latter. Because of the low blood level of urea, there were no apparent exchanges of urea between the blood and the intestine; in contrast, the ammonia absorption represented about 70% of that observed after ingestion of normal protein diets. Most amino acids are largely taken up by the liver and peripheral tissues, but in the case of alanine the syntheses exceed the uptake.

Influence of meal frequency on postprandial variations in the production and absorption of volatile fatty acids in the digestive tract of conscious pigs.

Five Large White pigs of 62.2 +/- 1.4 kg mean body weight were fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery and with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein to study the absorption of volatile fatty acids (VFA) by measuring the concentration of these metabolites in hourly blood samples, and by determining the portal blood flow rate for a period of 12 h after intake of a single 800-g meal (6% crude fiber) preceded by 12 or 24 h of fasting. The portal concentration of VFA mixture always highly exceeded the arterial concentration. The arterial concentrations of propionic, butyric, valeric and isovaleric acids were nearly null, accounting for an almost complete uptake of these VFA by the liver. Acetic acid also was taken up, but to a lesser extent. Total VFA absorption during 12 h was 64% higher (P less than .05) after 12 h (1,160 +/- 100 mmol/12 h) than after 24 h of preprandial fasting (740 +/- 83 mmol/12 h). It increased after the meal (P less than .05) from 82.3 +/- 7.8 mmol/h between the first and fourth hour to 107.8 +/- 7.5 mmol/h between the fifth and tenth hour when the preprandial fasting lasted 12 h; a nonsignificant increase also was found when fasting prior to the meal lasted 24 h. The composition of the VFA mixture was not modified by the length of preprandial fasting. With this type of diet there was a large predominance of acetic acid (52%) followed by propionic and butyric acids (36 and 8.5%, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Metabolic and hormonal effects of test meals with various protein contents in pigs.

The postprandial release of immunoreactive insulin, glucagon, gastrin, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) was studied in parallel with the absorption of sugars and amino acids in conscious pigs. Six pigs fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and arterial blood system as well as within an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein received successively at 3-day intervals, three meals of 800 g each containing 0, 14, or 28% protein (semisynthetic diets based on fish protein). Blood samples were collected and portal blood flow was recorded during a postprandial period of 8 h. For the same level of feed intake, an increase in the dietary protein concentration led to a higher alpha-amino nitrogen absorption and to a lower appearance of reducing sugars in the portal vein; in addition, the carbohydrate absorption efficiency (amounts absorbed as a percentage of amounts ingested) was reduced, showing the competition between the absorption of amino acids and glucose. The largest absorption occurred during the first 4 h after the meal, but neither the digestion of proteins nor that of carbohydrates were finished 8 h after the meal since portoarterial differences could still be observed. All test meals induced a rise of portal and peripheral concentrations of insulin, gastrin, somatostatin, and PP, and of the systemic level of GIP. Glucagon increased after the 28% protein meal only. The rise of plasma insulin paralleled that of blood glucose, and bore a significant positive relationship to the systemic GIP level in the early postprandial period. In terms of absolute amounts, portoarterial concentration gradients increased postprandially. Insulin release was significantly the highest after intake of the 14% protein diet. The gastrin response was significantly correlated to the amount of protein. Similarly the release of glucagon and somatostatin tended to increase with increasing dietary amount, but differences failed to reach significance (P less than 0.05), except for glucagon 2 h after the meal. There were very close relationships between the hourly amounts of alpha-amino nitrogen absorbed and gastrin and glucagon production, as between insulin and PP secretions. From the present results, the induction of physiological increments of plasma peptide concentration in 60-kg pigs would require infusion rates of about 50-250 micrograms/h for insulin, 1-4 micrograms/h for gastrin 17, 5-10 micrograms/h for glucagon and somatostatin, and 5-50 micrograms/h for PP.

[Measurement of the appearance of volatile fatty acids in the portal vein during digestion in conscious pigs]. / Mesure de l'apparition dans la veine porte des acides gras volatils formés au cours de la digestion chez le Porc éveillé.

A method used to measure the nutrient exchanges between the intestinal lumen and the portal blood was applied to 3 pigs receiving 800 g of a diet containing 6% of cellulose. During a postprandial period of 24 hrs., the mixture of volatile fatty acids (90 mM/h) appearing in the portal vein was composed of acetic acid (57%), propionic acid (30%), butyric acid (9%), isovaleric (2.5%) and valeric acid (1.5%). The composition of this mixture differed from that of the colic contents because of its acetic acid enrichment at the expense of butyric acid. The resulting energy supply to the animal represented about 600 to 700 kcal/24 hrs.

[Comparative kinetics of appearance in the portal vein of alpha-aminated nitrogen from mixtures of small peptides of free amino acids of the same composition introduced in the duodenum of conscious pigs]. / Cinétique comparée d'apparition dans la veine porte de l'azote alpha-aminé provenant de mélanges de petits peptides ou d'acides aminés libres de même composition introduits dans le duodenum chez le porc éveillé.

The quantitative kinetics of appearance of amino acids (a.a.) in the pig portal vein was studied in 6 animals for 5 hrs. after duodenal perfusion of an enzymatic hydrolysate of milk proteins or a solution of free a.a. of the same composition. Each product was given in two quantities (55 and 110 g). The quantities of a.a. appearing in the portal vein were higher after perfusion of the hydrolysate than after that of the free a.a., independently of the time after the perfusion. Thus, nitrogen present in the small intestine as small peptides is absorbed more quickly than when it is present as free amino acids.