Effect of starvation on glucose transport and membrane fluidity in rat intestinal epithelial cells

Studies on the surface area of microvilli (MV), fluidity of brush border membranes (BBM) and d-glucose uptake were carried out in rat intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) during progressive starvation and under re-feed conditions. The surface area of MV, fluidity of BBM and d-glucose transport through IEC membranes showed an increase during starvation when compared to well-fed controls. Re-feeding experiments restored the control values of all the three parameters within a short time. The results showed that the increase in d-glucose transport through IEC membranes during starvation is due to increased surface area of MV and increased fluidity of BBM.