In-vitro Evaluation of Rat Small Intestine as a Gluconeogenic Organ During Fasting

In vitro Evaluation of Gluconeogenesis Abstract The liver and kidneys maintain the blood glucose levels in periods of fasting, starvation, low-carbohydrate diets, or intense exercise by gluconeogenesis. The present study was designed to evaluate whether small intestine provides substrates for hepatic gluconeogenesis during fasting in an in-vitro model using rat everted sac technique. Healthy adult male albino Swiss rats were chosen for this study and divided into three groups consisting of control as well as 4 and 6 days of fasting animals respectively. The parameters studied were animal body weight, jejunal intestinal weight, and protein content of the jejunum, estimation of glucose, pyurvate and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Data were analyzed by one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison. The significant level was fixed at p<0.05. There was significant increase in glucose, pyurvate and lactate dehydrogenase levels in the fluid medium with a significant decrease in body weight, jejunal intestinal weight and protein levels after 4 and 6 days of fasting when compared with their control animals. It has become clear that as a result of fasting i.e. in phase III fasting state there is a strong increase in protein utilization as a substitute fuel for lipids and a rise in plasma corticosterone level which favors gluconeogenesis. This suggests that the conversion of glucose to lactic acid may play an important part in the absorption of glucose by rat intestine. These results establish that small intestine could serve as a gluconeogenic organ by providing substrates needed for hepatic gluconeogenesis.