Glucose metabolism in the mucosa of the small intestine. Changes of hexokinase activity during perfusion of the proximal half of rat small intestine.

1. The effect of perfusion on the activities of hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase was studied in the proximal half of the small intestine of fed and starved rats. 2. Perfusion of preparations from starved rats with a medium containing glucose caused a significant increase in hexokinase activity of the particle-free supernatant. The increase in activity was observed as early as 5min after the start of perfusion and persisted for up to 66min of perfusion. No increase in hexokinase activity of the particle-free supernatant was observed when a medium containing mannitol was used. As a further control, preparations from fed rats were perfused under the same conditions. With the medium containing glucose, the hexokinase activity of the particle-free supernatant remained unchanged during the first 15min of perfusion and thereafter fell gradually until, after 66min of perfusion, 73% of the original activity was retained. 3. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase in the particle-free supernatant prepared from the proximal half of the untreated small intestine of starved rats was significantly lower than in corresponding preparations from fed animals. However, it did not change significantly on perfusion with media containing either mannitol or glucose. 4. The distribution of hexokinase activity between total particulate fraction and particle-free supernatant was measured in preparations from starved rats after perfusion for 5-10min. In preparations that had not been perfused the ratio of hexokinase activity in total particulate fraction/particle-free supernatant was significantly higher in starved than in fed animals. After perfusion with a medium containing glucose, the total homogenate activity had not changed significantly, whereas the ratio of hexokinase activity in total particulate fraction/particle-free supernatant decreased significantly and approached the value obtained with fed animals. 5. The results agree with the view that the glucose-dependent increase of hexokinase activity in the soluble cell compartment as observed in vivo and in vitro in the intestinal mucosa of starved rats is brought about by a release of hexokinase activity from a particulate subcellular structure(s).