Developmental changes in the regional Na +/glucose transporter mRNA along the small intestine of suckling rats

Abstract

We investigated the postnatal development of Na +-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT1) as a change in the level of the gene expression of the transporter during the suckling period in rats. We measured the changes in the expression of SGLT1 mRNA in various regions of the intestine during the development of rat pups, using a Northern blot analysis. We found a pronounced gradient in SGLT1 mRNA, with a high level in the duodenum declining gradually, but significantly, to a relatively low level near the ileocecal junction. The level of SGLT1 mRNA in the jejunum region increased in proportion to postnatal age. SGLT1 mRNA was not found at the colon. These data indicate that the glucose uptake in the small intestine of rat pups changes according to regional and age-related transporter activity.