Effect of chronic glucagon-administration on the digestive and absorptive function of rat small intestine in vivo

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Abstract
Endogeneous hyperglucagonemia is observed in experimental diabetes mellitus and semistarvation, conditions associated with an increased intestinal absorptive function. To examine whether glucagon might exert a similar adaptive response on intestinal digestive-absorptive function like experimental diabetes mellitus the effect of chronic glucagon administration on intestinal transport of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, water, sodium, potassium, and D-glucose induced transmural potential difference (PD) was examined by an in vivo perfusion technique in rat small intestine. Chronic administration of glucagon (100 µg twice daily) for 5 days resulted in increased absorption of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, water, sodium and potassium as well as in an increase of D-glucose induced PD. A similar, but more pronounced augmentation of D-glucose induced PD was observed in the jejunum of streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Disaccharidase (maltase, sucrase, trehalase, lactase) and alkaline phosphatase activities were not affected in intestinal mucosa of glucagon-treated rats compared to controls. It cannot be decided from these results whether hyperglucagonemia is responsible for the adaptive intestinal changes observed in experimental diabetes mellitus.