Absorption of amino acids and peptides from a complex mixture in the isolated small intestine of the rat.

Amino acid and peptide absorption from a pancreatic digest of casein at low concentration by an isolated preparation of perfused rat small intestine has been measured. 2. The rate of absorption of each amino acid (free or peptide-bound) is closely proportional to its concentration in the perfusate; this implies a constant Vmax/Km ration for all amino acids in the mixture. 3. There is a high correlation between the compositions of luminal perfusate and secretion into the tissue fluid (apart from the content of glutamic and aspartic acids and alanine). 4. The concentrations of each free amino acid are, on average, 9 times as great in secretion as in lumen; the total peptide-N concentration in secretion is approximately 4 times that in the lumen. 5. The rate of absorption of each free amino acid is highly negatively dependent on the rate of absorption of that amino acid in peptide-bound form, in addition to being positively dependent on the perfusate concentration of free amino acid. 6. While peptide-bound proline appears to be well absorbed, free proline liberated by hydrolysis appears to pass back into the lumen as well as into the tissue fluid. Substantial back flux of hydrolysis products may occur for all amino acids. 7. About one-third of the amino acids appearing in the secretion on the serosal surface are peptide-bound. 8. The rate of absorption of peptides appears to determine the rate of their hydrolysis which probably occurs mainly after entry into the mucosal cells.