Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Uptake ofl-carnitine by rat jejunal brush border microvillous membrane vesicles

Evidence of passive diffusion

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have previously described apparent active transport of carnitine into rat intestinal mucosa with intracellular accumulation against a concentration gradient in a process dependent upon the presence of sodium ions, oxygen, and energy. In the work described here, we sought to define the interaction between carnitine and the brush border membrane, which we presumed contained the transport mechanism. Using isolated rat jejunal brush border microvillous membrane vesicles, we found evidence of passive diffusion alone. We found no evidence of carrier-mediated transport—in particular no saturation over a concentration range, inhibition by structural analogs, transstimulation phenomenon, and no influence of sodium ions, potential difference or proton gradients. We conclude that a carnitine transporter does not exist in the brush border membrane of enterocytes and that other cellular mechanisms are responsible for the apparent active transport observed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bremer J: Carnitine in intermediary metabolism. The metabolism of fatty acid esters of carnitine by mitochondria. J Biol Chem 237:3628–3632, 1962

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bremer J: Carnitine—Metabolism and functions. Physiol Rev 63:1420–1480, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Shaw RD, Li BUK, Hamilton JW, Shug AL, Olsen WA: Carnitine transport in rat small intestine. Am J Physiol 245:G376-G381, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gross CJ, Henderson LM: Absorption ofd- andl-carnitine by the intestine and kidney tubule in the rat. Biochim Biophys Acta 772:209–219, 1984

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gudjonsson H, Li BUK, Shug AL, Olsen WA: Studies of carnitine metabolism in relation to intestinal absorption. Am J Physiol 248:G313-G319, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gudjonsson H, Li BUK, Shug AL, Olsen WA: In vivo studies of intestinal carnitine absorption in rat. Gastroenterology 88:1880–1887, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Gross CJ, Henderson LM, Savaino DA: Uptake ofl-carnitine,d-carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine by isolated guinea pig enterocytes. Biochim Biophys Acta 886:425–433, 1986

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Penn D, Schmidt-Sommerfeld E, Pascu F: Decreased tissue carnitine concentrations in newborn infants receiving total parenteral nutrition. J Pediatr 98:976–978, 1981

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Slonim AE, Borum P, Tanaka K, Stanley CA, Kasselberg AG, Greene HL, Burr IM: Dietary-dependent carnitine deficiency as a cause of nonketotic hypoglycemia in an infant. J Pediatr 99:551–556, 1981

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Worthley LIG, Fishlock RC, Snoswell AM: Carnitine deficiency with hyperbilirubinemia, generalized skeletal muscle weakness and reactive hypoglycemia in a patient on longterm total parenteral nutrition: Treatment with intravenousl-carnitine. J Parenter Enter Nutr 7:176–180, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tripp ME, Katcher ML, Peters HA, Gilbert EF, Arya S, Hodach RJ, Shug AL: Systemic carnitine deficiency presenting as familial endocardial fibroelastosis: A treatable cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med 305:385–390, 1981

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Waber LJ, Valle D, Neill C, DiMauro S, Shug AL: Carnitine deficiency presenting as familial cardiomyopathy: A treatable defect in carnitine transport. J Pediatr 101:700–705, 1982

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hamilton JW, Li BUK, Shug AL, Olsen WA: Carnitine transport in human intestinal biopsies: Demonstration of an active transport system. Gastroenterology 91:10–16, 1986

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bahl J, Navin T, Manian AA, Bressler R: Carnitine transport in isolated rat heart myocytes and the effect of 7, 8-diOH Chlorpromazine. Circ Res 48:378–385, 1981

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rebouche CJ: Carnitine movement across muscle cell membranes: Studies in isolated rat muscle. Biochim Biophys Acta 471:145–155, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Huth PJ, Shug AL: Properties of carnitine transport in rat kidney cortex slices. Biochim Biophys Acta 602:621–634, 1980

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kispal G, Melegh B, Alkonyi I, Sandor A: Enhanced uptake of carnitine by perfused rat liver following starvation. Biochim Biophys Acta 896:96–102, 1987

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Rebouche CJ, Engel AG: Tissue distribution of carnitine biosynthetic enzymes in man. Biochim Biophys Acta 630:22–29, 1980

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bohmer T, Molstad P: Carnitine transport across the plasma membrane.In Carnitine Biosynthesis, Metabolism and Functions. RA Frenkel, JD McGarry (eds). New York; Academic Press, 1980, pp 73–89

    Google Scholar 

  20. Schmitz J, Prieser H, Maestracci D, Ghosh BK, Cerda JJ, Crane RK: Purification of the human intestinal brush border membrane. Biochim Biophys Acta 323:98–112, 1973

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Dahlqvist A: Assay of intestinal disaccharidases. Anal Biochem 22:99–107, 1968

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Spector T: Refinement of the coomassie blue method of protein quantitation. Anal Biochem 86:142–146, 1978

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Stevens BR, Ross HJ, Wright EM: Multiple transport pathways for neutral amino acids in rabbit jejunal brush border vesicles. J Membr Biol 66:213–225, 1982

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Gumpen SA, Norum KR: The relative amounts of long-chain acylcarnitines, short-chain acylcarnitines and carnitine in the heart, liver and brown adipose tissue from rats fed on rape seed oil. Biochim Biophys Acta 316:48–55, 1973

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Munck BG: Intestinal absorption of amino acids.In Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. LR Johnson (ed)., New York; Raven Press, 1981, pp 1097–1122

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hagihira H, Wilson TH, Lin ECC: Intestinal transport of certainN-substituted amino acids. Am J Physiol 203:637–640, 1962

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Neame KD, Richards TG: Elementary Kinetics of Membrane Carrier Transport. New York; Wiley & Sons, 1978, p 67

    Google Scholar 

  28. Diamond I, Kennedy EP: Carrier-mediated transport of choline into synaptic nerve endings. J Biol Chem 244:3258–3263, 1969

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Murer H, Hopfer U: Demonstration of electrogenic Na+-dependentd-glucose transport in intestinal brush border membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 71:484–488, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hopfer U, Nelson K, Perrotto J, Isselbacher K: Glucose transport in isolated brush border membrane from rat small intestine. J Biol Chem 248:25–32, 1973

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Sigrist-Nelson K, Murer H, Hopfer U: Active alanine transport in isolated brush border membranes. J Biol Chem 250:5674–5680, 1975

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Li BUK, Lloyd ML, Shug AL, Olsen WA: Jejunal carnitine levels and absorption in humans. Pediatr Res 21:272A, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  33. Pande SV, Parvin R: Characterization of carnitine acylcarnitine translocase system of heart mitochondria. J Biol Chem 251:6683–6691, 1976

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Pande SV, Parvin R: Carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase catalyzes an equilibrating unidirectional transport as well. J Biol Chem 255:2994–3001, 1980

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Duffy MC, Blitzer BL, Boyer JL: Direct determination of the driving forces for taurocholate uptake into rat liver plasma membrane vesicles. J Clin Invest 72:1470–1481, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Kessler M, Acuto O, Storelli C, Murer H, Muller M, Semenza G: A modified procedure for the rapid preparation of efficiently transporting vesicles from small intestinal brush border membranes. Their use in investigating some properties ofd-glucose and choline transport systems. Biochim Biophys Acta 506:136–154, 1978

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Sandor A, Kispal G, Melegh B, Alkonyi I: Release of carnitine from the isolated perfused liver. Biochim Biophys Acta 835:83–91, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

    B. U. K. Li, Paul M. Bummer, John W. Hamilton, Hallgrimur Gudjonsson, George Zografi & Ward A. Olsen

  2. School of Pharmacy, and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

    B. U. K. Li, Paul M. Bummer, John W. Hamilton, Hallgrimur Gudjonsson, George Zografi & Ward A. Olsen

Authors
  1. B. U. K. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul M. Bummer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John W. Hamilton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hallgrimur Gudjonsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. George Zografi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ward A. Olsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, B.U.K., Bummer, P.M., Hamilton, J.W. et al. Uptake ofl-carnitine by rat jejunal brush border microvillous membrane vesicles. Digest Dis Sci 35, 333–339 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537411

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537411

Key words

Search

Navigation