Amino acid metabolism of dog jejunum before and during absorption of keto analogues.

In fasting dogs, significant uptake by the jejunal wall from arterial blood was found for glutamine and eight other amino acids. Significant release into the mesenteric vein of ammonium, alanine, citrulline, and proline occurred, equal in nitrogen content to glutamine nitrogen taken up. The keto analogues of leucine, valine, and isoleucine, infused for 1 h into the lumen at initial concentrations of 10mM, disappeared from the lumen at 20.2 +/- 1.6, 18.6 +/- 2.0, and 15.7 +/- 2.8 mumol/cm in 1h, respectively. Eight fifteen and seventeen percent, respectively, of these absorbed quantities were released into mesenteric blood as leucine, valine, and isoleucine plus alloisoleucine, indicating significant amination of the keto acids by the gut wall. No significant changes were detected in the arteriovenous differences of any other amino acids or ammonium. The remainder of the absorbed analogues of valine and isoleucine appeared as such in the blood. In the case of the keto analogue of leucine, there was apparent degradation by the gut wall of 34% of the absorbed compound.