Intestinal absorption and secretion of ochratoxin A in the rat

Abstract

The absorption and secretion of ochratoxin A (OA) by the gastrointestinal tract were studied in the rat. When OA was introduced into the lumen at various sites of the gastrointestinal tract, the largest concentration of OA in portal blood was found after the toxin was injected into the lumen at the proximal jejunum. After the injection of OA into a closed loop at the proximal jejunum, the rate of appearance of OA in the mesenteric venous plasma was higher than that in lymph. The rate of appearance in the venous plasma increased with an increase in the luminal concentration of OA while in the lymph the rate remained almost constant with respect to the luminal OA concentration. These results suggest that the site of maximal absorption is the proximal jejunum and that the primary route of absorption is the portal vein although the contribution of the lymphatic route cannot be excluded when low-dose levels of OA are given. When various parts of the gastrointestinal tract were perfused after iv injection of OA, noticeable amounts of the toxin appeared in the intestinal perfusate, suggesting that intestinal secretion may be another route of excretion of OA. Comparison of intestinal secretion and absorption showed asymmetric transfer of OA across the intestinal mucosa, the lumen-to-blood transfer being greater than that in the opposite direction.