The jejunal absorption of glucose oligomers in the absence of pancreatic enzymes

We compared the absorption of carbohydrate from solutions of glucose oligomers and glucose in jejunal Thiry-Vella fistulae, a preparation deprived of pancreatic secretions. The studies were performed with two concentrations (90 and 360 mg/dl) of both glucose and the glucose oligomers. Carbohydrate absorption from glucose solutions (33.1 +/- 2.8, 115.9 +/- 8.9 micrograms/cm/min) was significantly greater (P less than 0.025; P less than 0.005) than that from oligomer solutions (26.6 +/- 2.1 and 92.4 +/- 9.0 micrograms/cm/min). Thin-layer analyses of the perfusates demonstrate digestion of oligomers with a chain length up to eleven and suggest digestion of oligomers of even greater chain length. Atrophy of the jejunal mucosa occurred over the course of the study as evidenced by a decrease in the ratio of villous height to crypt depth from 3.8 to 0.3, and by a 80% decrease in the activity of maltase, sucrase, and lactase. Atrophy was accompanied by a significant decline in the absorption of both glucose oligomers (P less than 0.005) and glucose (P less than 0.01) from the more concentrated solutions but the decrement in absorption of both carbohydrates was similar: glucose oligomers, 79.3 +/- 19.4 micrograms/cm/min; and glucose, 69.8 +/- 14 micrograms/cm/min (P greater than 0.20). Water absorption was enhanced by both carbohydrates, but there was no demonstrable difference between solutions of glucose and glucose oligomers. The osmolality of the solutions clearly influenced water absorption (P less than 0.025) but failed to effect the absorption of carbohydrates.