Effect of Scurvy on Active Transport of Glucose by Small Intestine in vitro.

Summary

Intestinal transport of glucose in vitro was studied in normal, scorbutic, insulin-treated scorbutic and ascorbic acid-supplemented scorbutic guinea pigs by the use of everted small intestine sac technique. Glucose was absorbed from the intestine of the differently-treated animals against a concentration gradient, indicating that the major part of glucose was absorbed by active transport. Rate of absorption of glucose from the intestine of scorbutic guinea pigs was twice that of normal. When the guinea pigs recovered from scurvy after supplementation with ascorbic acid, intestinal absorption of glucose became normal. Insulin treatment of the scorbutic animals did not alter significantly the glucose absorption observed in the scorbutic condition. Ascorbic acid seems to play a role in intestinal transport of glucose. This does not seem to be mediated through the associated hypoinsulinism observed in scorbutic guinea pigs.