The mechanism of transfer for L-leucine into the vascular bed of the Anuran small intestine.

1. The vascularly perfused small intestine of Rana pipiens was used to investigate the movement of the amino acid L-leucine from the epithelium into the vascular bed. It was found that only a few amino acids when present in the lumen inhibited the wash-out leucine into the vascular bed. The series of amino acids which had this effect belonged to the group previously shown to be transported by 'L-type' carrier systems. 2. Nearly all amino acids when present in the lumen accelerated the flux of leucine from the vascular bed to the lumen and there was little correlation between the amino acids which caused this effect and those which inhibited leucine wash-out into the vascular bed. Replacement of luminal sodium also promoted serosal-to-mucosal leucine flux. 3. The effect of the presence of amino acids in the lumen on the uptake of leucine from the vascular bed was measured using a fractional extraction technique; sucrose was the extracellular marker. There was complete correlation between the amino acids which promoted the extraction of leucine from the vascular bed and those which inhibited leucine wash-out into the vascular bed. 4. In contrast, the wash-out of leucine into the vascular bed was not accelerated by the addition of amino acids to the vascular perfusate, and the presence of 10 mM-leucine in the vascular bed had very little effect upon the mucosal-to-serosal flux of leucine. 5. These results are discussed with regard to the specificity of an exit system for leucine, in the intestinal epithelium, which appears to have an energy requirement.