Fatty acid uptake and esterification by proximal and distal intestine in bile fistula rats

Abstract

The uptake and reesterification of 3H-labelled oleic acid was studied in intestinal sacs from the duodeno-jejunum and ileum of control and 48 h bile-diverted rats. In addition, the levels of two of the enzymes involved in the reesterification of absorbed fatty acid, acyl-CoA: monoglyceride acyl transferase and acyl-CoA synthetase, were measured in proximal and distal intestine from control and bile diverted animals. Ileal sacs from bile diverted rats absorbed more and reesterified more labelled fatty acid than sacs from control animals. The increased ideal uptake was associated with an increase in the level of acyl-CoA synthetase and a decrease in the level of acyl-CoA: monoglyceride acyl transferase in the distal intestine of bile-diverted compared with control animals. These changes in ileal enzyme activity may result from changes in the composition of the lipid mixture absorbed by the distal ileum when bile is diverted. The increased enzyme activity may in turn promote uptake by increasing the rate of handling of absorbed lipid.