Absorption of <sc>l</sc>-methionine from the human small intestine

Harold P. Schedl; Charles E. Pierce; Alan Rider; James A. Clifton

doi:10.1172/JCI105738

Absorption of l-methionine from the human small intestine

Published February 1, 1968 - More info

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Abstract

Absorption of L-methionine was measured in all parts of the human small intestine using transintestinal intubation and perfusion. In four normal subjects, adsorption was higher in the proximal than in the distal intestine. In two patients with nontropical sprue in relapse, there was a proximal zone of low absorption with higher absorption distally. In all parts of the small intestine, absorption showed rate-limiting kinetics as methionine concentration was increased. In normal subjects, the proximal K_m (Michaelis constant) was more than 3 times higher than the distal, which suggests a difference in transport mechanisms between the two segments.