Hormonal Regulation of chicken intestinal NHE and SGLT-1 activities

Abstract

The effects of aldosterone and arginine vasotocin (AVT) on intestinal Na/Hexchange (NHE) and Na-sugar cotransport (SGLT-1) activi-ties have been investigated using brush-border membrane ves-icles isolated from Hubbard chicken small and large intestines, and they were compared with those induced by either Nadepletion or dehydration. Na depletion was induced by feeding the chickens with either a low- or a high-Na diet for either 0.5, 1, 2, 4, or 8 days. Ileal and colonic NHE2 activity increased with the duration of the Na depletion, whereas that of intestinal SGLT-1 decreased, reaching a plateau after 2 days of treat-ment. Three-hour incubation of the intestine with aldosterone produced the same effects on NHE activity as does Na deple-tion, without altering SGLT-1 activity. However, 3-h incubation of the intestine with AVT increased intestinal SGLT-1 activity, without affecting intestinal NHE activity. It is concluded that aldosterone regulates apical ileal and colonic NHE2 activity, whereas that of SGLT-1 is regulated by AVT.