Uptake of Rat Gastric-Juice-Bound Vitamin B₁₂ by Intestinal Brush Borders Isolated from Blind-Loop Rats

Abstract

Rats with experimental self-filling jejunal blind loops had raised excretion of urinary indican and fecal fat and decreased vitamin B₁₂ absorption. Vitamin B₁₂ uptake by brush borders isolated from the middle segment of rat small intestine was measured. Rat gastric juice enhanced vitamin B₁₂ uptake by brush borders both from blind-loop rats and control rats, and there was no significant difference in the uptake of rat gastric-juice-bound vitamin B₁₂ by brush borders from blind-loop rats and control rats. These results do not support the hypothesis that bacteria cause B₁₂ malabsorption in the stagnant-loop syndrome by interference with B₁₂ uptake by intestinal epithelial cells.

Key-words:

• Diverticulosis
• intestinal absorption
• intestinal microorganisms
• mucous membranes
• vitamin B₁₂