these data suggest that the small intestine may be a significant source of lactate and alanine for utilization by the liver. During fasting, intestinal glutamine oxidation to C02 and the subsequent production of alanine are not affected (3, 9) and so the intestine may be an important source of alanine. These studies, which identified significant aerobic small intestinal metabolism of glucose to lactate and the oxidation of glutamine to C02 (1-4), were done under anesthesia and with bowel manipulation. Anesthesia can alter blood substrate concentrations as well as the metabolism of substrates (3). Ether, for example, increases blood glucose and lactate concentrations (10). Anesthesia also can decrease cardiac output which would decrease mesenteric blood flow and intestinal perfusion. Surgical manipulation can alter intestinal metabolism and perfusion. Metabolic studies involving the fetal lamb exemplify the importance of chronic catheterization in contrast to acute catheterization (1 1).We set out to determine the effect of fasting on small intestinal metabolism and the resulting effect on portal venous blood substrate concentrations under physiologic conditions. We used a chronically catheterized rat model in which the portal vein and aorta remained patent for blood sampling. The portal venous and aortic blood concentrations of glucose, lactate, alanine, and glutamine were measured in the fasted and fed states. In the fasting state intraluminal substrates are unavailable to the intestine, so the portal venous to aortic blood concentration gradient reflects qualitatively the utilization or production of blood borne substrates by the intestine.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals.All experiments were performed in vivo using adult Many low birth weight infants are nourished using parenteral male, albino, Sprague-Dawley rats (200-300 g body weight). methods. If the intestine is primarily an absorptive organ, this These animals were obtained from Simonsen Labs (Gilroy, CA) therapy may be appropriate. However, the small intestine per-and allowed free access to water and rat food. The adult rats forms several major metabolic functions including oxidation of were weighed and anesthetized with a 20 mg/kg ketamine inglucose to lactate under aerobic conditions (1-3), oxidation of jected intramuscularly followed by a 10 mg/kg pentobarbital glutamine to C02 (3,4), and conversion of lactate to alanine and injected intrapentoneally. Using aseptic technique, portal venous C02 after infusions of lactate (3). These important intestinal and aortic catheters were surgically placed as described previously metabolic functions release gluconeogenic precursors, alanine (12). After surgery, animals were weighed daily and the catheters and lactate, into the portal venous effluent which perfuses the were flushed with 0.35 ml of normal saline containing 500 U/ liver. Ramesy et al. (5) have reported elevated portal venous ml heparin and 2.5 mg/ml of ampicillin. concentrations of glucose, alanine, and lactate in fed rats. KatzThe effect offasting ...