Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine logoLink to Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
. 1984 Jun;77(6):501–505. doi: 10.1177/014107688407700612

Mechanisms of control of intestinal transport: a review.

L A Turnberg
PMCID: PMC1439788  PMID: 6145800

Abstract

Of the long list of substances which are capable of influencing intestinal transport, corticosteroids and aldosterone probably exert a prolonged, modest, controlling influence on salt and water absorption. They are likely to be important in situations where variation in colonic absorption occurs, such as in the rabbit, or in circumstances where salt depletion or salt overload are likely. There is modest evidence in favour of the possibility that the gastrointestinal hormones liberated locally after a meal limit the rate of absorption of salt and water at that time, perhaps to maintain the fluidity of luminal contents for digestion to occur. More rapid short-term regulation of salt and water absorption in localized areas of the intestine may be exerted by peptide secretions from the enteric nervous system and paracrine cells. Cholinergic and adrenergic effects on secretion and absorption respectively may be responsible for maintaining an overall balance, and there is reasonable evidence in favour of this view. There is also strong circumstantial evidence to support a role for VIP in intestinal secretion. VIP may also play a part in mediating secretory diarrhoea. A role for the large number of other neurotransmitters remains uncertain but it is likely that overall control is maintained by a combination of counter-balancing factors. Finally, under pathological circumstances, where damage to the intestine liberates such mediators of the inflammatory response as prostaglandins, histamine and bradykinin, intestinal secretion may occur and be responsible for the diarrhoea associated with these diseases.

Full text

PDF
501

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amiranoff B., Laburthe M., Rosselin G. Characterization of specific binding sites for vasoactive intestinal peptide in rat intestinal epithelial cell membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1980 Jan 17;627(2):215–224. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(80)90323-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Binder H. J. Effect of dexamethasone on electrolyte transport in the large intestine of the rat. Gastroenterology. 1978 Aug;75(2):212–217. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chang E. B., Field M., Miller R. J. Enterocyte alpha 2-adrenergic receptors: yohimbine and p-aminoclonidine binding relative to ion transport. Am J Physiol. 1983 Jan;244(1):G76–G82. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1983.244.1.G76. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Crocker A. D., Willavoys S. P. Effect of bradykinin on transepithelial transfer of sodium and water in vitro. J Physiol. 1975 Dec;253(2):401–410. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp011196. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dharmsathaphorn K., Sherwin R. S., Dobbins J. W. Somatostatin inhibits fluid secretion in the rat jejunum. Gastroenterology. 1980 Jun;78(6):1554–1558. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dobbins J., Racusen L., Binder H. J. Effect of D-alanine methionine enkephalin amide on ion transport in rabbit ileum. J Clin Invest. 1980 Jul;66(1):19–28. doi: 10.1172/JCI109830. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dolman D., Edmonds C. J. The effect of aldosterone and the renin-angiotensin system on sodium, potassium and chloride transport by proximal and distal rat colon in vivo. J Physiol. 1975 Sep;250(3):597–611. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp011072. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donowitz M., Asarkof N., Pike G. Calcium dependence of serotonin-induced changes in rabbit ileal electrolyte transport. J Clin Invest. 1980 Aug;66(2):341–352. doi: 10.1172/JCI109862. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Donowitz M., Elta G., Battisti L., Fogel R., Label-Schwartz E. Effect of dopamine and bromocriptine on rat ileal and colonic transport. Stimulation of absorption and reversal of cholera toxin-induced secretion. Gastroenterology. 1983 Mar;84(3):516–523. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Frizzell R. A., Schultz S. G. Effect of aldosterone on ion transport by rabbit colon in vitro. J Membr Biol. 1978 Feb 6;39(1):1–26. doi: 10.1007/BF01872752. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gray T. K., Brannan P., Juan D., Morawski G., Fordtran J. S. Ion transport changes during calcitonin-induced intestinal secretion in man. Gastroenterology. 1976 Sep;71(3):392–398. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hicks T., Turnberg L. A. Influence of glucagon on the human jejunum. Gastroenterology. 1974 Dec;67(6):1114–1118. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Isaacs P. E., Corbett C. L., Riley A. K., Hawker P. C., Turnberg L. A. In vitro behavior of human intestinal mucosa. The influence of acetyl choline on ion transport. J Clin Invest. 1976 Sep;58(3):535–542. doi: 10.1172/JCI108498. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Isaacs P. E., Whitehead J. S., Kim Y. S. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors of the small intestine and pancreas of the rat: distribution and the effect of vagotomy. Clin Sci (Lond) 1982 Feb;62(2):203–207. doi: 10.1042/cs0620203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kachur J. F., Miller R. J., Field M. Control of guinea pig intestinal electrolyte secretion by a delta-opiate receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 May;77(5):2753–2756. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.5.2753. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kachur J. F., Miller R. J., Field M., Rivier J. Neurohumoral control of ileal electrolyte transport. I. Bombesin and related peptides. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1982 Mar;220(3):449–455. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kachur J. F., Miller R. J., Field M., Rivier J. Neurohumoral control of ileal electrolyte transport. II. Neurotensin and substance P. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1982 Mar;220(3):456–463. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Linaker B. D., McKay J. S., Higgs N. B., Turnberg L. A. Mechanisms of histamine stimulated secretion in rabbit ileal mucosa. Gut. 1981 Nov;22(11):964–970. doi: 10.1136/gut.22.11.964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mainoya J. R., Bern H. A., Regan J. W. Influence of ovine prolactin on transport of fluid and sodium chloride by the mammalian intestine and gall bladder. J Endocrinol. 1974 Nov;63(2):311–317. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0630311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Matuchansky C., Huet P. M., Mary J. Y., Rambaud J. C., Bernier J. J. Effects of cholecystokinin and metoclopramide on jejunal movements of water and electrolytes and on transit time of luminal fluid in man. Eur J Clin Invest. 1972 Mar;2(3):160–175. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1972.tb00586.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. McKay J. S., Linaker B. D., Turnberg L. A. Influence of opiates on ion transport across rabbit ileal mucosa. Gastroenterology. 1981 Feb;80(2):279–284. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Modigliani R., Huet P. M., Rambaud J. C., Bernier J. J. Effect of secretin upon movements of water and electrolytes across the small intestine in man. Rev Eur Etud Clin Biol. 1971 Apr;16(4):361–364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Modigliani R., Mary J. Y., Bernier J. J. Effects of synthetic human gastrin I on movements on water, electrolytes, and glucose across the human small intestine. Gastroenterology. 1976 Dec;71(6):978–985. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Morris A. I., Turnberg L. A. Influence of isoproterenol and propranolol on human intestinal transport in vivo. Gastroenterology. 1981 Dec;81(6):1076–1079. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Morris A. I., Turnberg L. A. The influence of a parasympathetic agonist and antagonist on human intestinal transport in vivo. Gastroenterology. 1980 Nov;79(5 Pt 1):861–866. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Pansu D., Bosshard A., Dechelette M. A., Vagne M. Effect of pentagastrin, secretin and cholecystokinin on intestinal water and sodium absorption in the rat. Digestion. 1980;20(3):201–206. doi: 10.1159/000198440. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Poitras P., Modigliani R., Bernier J. J. Effect of a combination of gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin, glucagon, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide on jejunal absorption in man. Gut. 1980 Apr;21(4):299–304. doi: 10.1136/gut.21.4.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rimele T. J., O'Dorisio M. S., Gaginella T. S. Evidence for muscarinic receptors on rat colonic epithelial cells: binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1981 Aug;218(2):426–434. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rubens R. D., Lambert H. P. The homeostatic function of the colon in acute gastroenteritis. Gut. 1972 Nov;13(11):915–919. doi: 10.1136/gut.13.11.915. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Schultzberg M., Hökfelt T., Nilsson G., Terenius L., Rehfeld J. F., Brown M., Elde R., Goldstein M., Said S. Distribution of peptide- and catecholamine-containing neurons in the gastro-intestinal tract of rat and guinea-pig: immunohistochemical studies with antisera to substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, enkephalins, somatostatin, gastrin/cholecystokinin, neurotensin and dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Neuroscience. 1980;5(4):689–744. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(80)90166-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sellin J. H., Field M. Physiologic and pharmacologic effects of glucocorticoids on ion transport across rabbit ileal mucosa in vitro. J Clin Invest. 1981 Mar;67(3):770–778. doi: 10.1172/JCI110094. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Thomas D. H., Skadhauge E. Chronic aldosterone therapy and the control of transepithelial transport of ions and water by the colon and coprodeum of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) in vivo. J Endocrinol. 1979 Nov;83(2):239–250. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0830239. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine are provided here courtesy of Royal Society of Medicine Press

RESOURCES