Intraluminal Glucose

Abstract

The introduction of radioactive glucose into the lumen of canine intestinal loops during superior mesenteric arterial occlusion afforded protection from the classical morphological ischemic injury. A comparison was made with loops containing iso-osmotic radioactive methylglucose, which is transported by the intestine but not metabolized. The epithelial cells utilized the luminal glucose as substrate (measured by the production of radioactive lactate). Neither metabolic utilization nor morphological protection was observed with methyl-glucose. Furthermore, the glucose-containing loop showed less fluid loss into the lumen following restoration of blood flow than when methylglucose was present. The protection with glucose was not simply an osmotic effect, since no protection was manifested with iso-osmotic methylglucose. It appears, therefore, that the utilization of glucose as substrate for the ischemic intestinal cells afforded the protection from injury.