Absorption of calcium measured by intubation and perfusion of the intact human small intestine

• Text
• PDF

Abstract

Absorption of calcium was measured by direct intubation and perfusion of the small intestine in 10 volunteer normal adult subjects, two adults with celiac-sprue, and one with a parathyroid adenoma. A total of 60 studies were completed using one of two different levels, duodenojejunum or ileum. Solutions containing stable calcium, radiocalcium47, and a nonabsorbable dilution-concentration marker, polyethylene glycol, were infused at a uniform rate via the proximal lumen of a triple-lumen polyvinyl tube. The mixed intraluminal contents were continuously sampled by siphonage from two distal sites, 10 and 60 cm below the point of infusion. Unidirectional flux rates, lumen to blood and blood to lumen, and net absorption of calcium for the 50 cm segment of small intestine between the two collection sites were calculated from the measured changes in concentration of stable calcium, calcium-47, and polyethylene glycol.

Authors

Ronald H. Wensel, Clayton Rich, Arthur C. Brown, Wade Volwiler