Quantitative aspects of intestinal fat absorption in young pigs

Abstract

1. The uptake of lipid by the small intestine of the pig was examined by the perfusion of a segment of the jejunum with radioactively labelled lipid in vivo. The rate at which lipid was presented to the small intestine under specific dietary regimes was also examined by means of re-entrant fistulas in the duodenum and jejunum.2. The capacity of the small intestine to absorb micellar lipid, prepared in vitro or isolated from intestinal contents, was much in excess of the normal rate of flow of fat into the small intestine.3. There was little uptake of lipid when emulsions of oleic acid were examined, suggesting that the absorption of particulate fat is probably of little importance in pigs.4.No specificity in the removal of fatty acids from their mixed micellar solutions was observed.