Studies on the lipid composition of human small bowel mucosa.

Abstract

Suction biopsies of the normal distal human duodenum were examined with and without prior dietary control. The variances of mucosal phospholipid and triglyceride fatty acid, obtained from subjects on ad libitum diets, were not reduced by a fat-free formula diet for 2 weeks. After 2 to 6 weeks of a formula diet containing 40% fat calories, there was considerable disparity between the composition of mucosal fatty acids and that of the dietary fat. Mucosal biopsies were obtained after instilling corn oil intraduodenally. There was an increase in mucosal triglycerides whose fatty acid composition changed towards that of the corn oil, but important differences persisted. The results demonstrate the influence of endogenous fat on mucosal lipids during the absorption of fat and after diets of known lipid composition.