Studies on the control of glucuronide synthesis in the rat small intestine.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal surgery was used in order to determine the role of normal food components, bile and pancreatic secretion in the control of mucosal glucuronide synthesis. Furthermore a few rats were treated either intragastrically or intraperitoneally with phenobarbitone. Both the rate of o‐aminophenyl glucuronide synthesis in slices and the activity of UDP glucuronyltransferase in mucosal extracts were studied. In partial jejunectomies no changes were found in glucuronide synthesis when compared with the controls, but in jejunal Thiry‐Vella loops and in duodenal and jejunal blind sacs the glucuronide synthesis rate was significantly lower. In gastro‐jejunostomized rats a transient increase in the glucuronide synthesis rate was noted in the gastro‐jejunostomy area. Phenobarbitone administration did not increase the small intestinal UDP glucuronyltransferase activity when administered either intraperitoneally or intragastrically. The results indicate that the chyme factors are of importance in the control of glucuronide synthesis in the small intestine of the rat, but that phenobarbitone has no effect.