American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 40, 1243-1249, Copyright © 1984 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Intestinal maturation: effect of growth retardation on L-valine absorption

MK Younoszai

The absorption of L-valine was studied in segments of the jejunum and ileum using a one pass in situ perfusion technique in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4- wk-old healthy control and in growth-retarded rats (suckled with mothers fed a protein-deficient diet and fed the same diet after weaning). In the jejunum of control rats, rate of absorption of L- valine declined from about 270 to 80 mumol/h per g mucosal weight, between 2 and 4 wk of life. At each age period, in both segments, rates of absorption of L-valine based on weight of the segments were significantly greater in the growth-retarded than in the control rats. However, based on length of the intestinal segments rates of absorption were similar in corresponding segments of the control and growth- retarded rats. These findings indicated that although the intestine in the growth-retarded rats was atrophic compared to that in control rats, the capability to absorb L-valine had been preserved, by increasing the rate of absorption per unit weight of intestine.