digestion and absorption mechanism of nutrient absorption Flashcards
what is digestion?
the breakdown of large molecules into small molecules which can then be absorbed
what are proteins broken down into?
amino acids, di and tri peptides
what are brush border enzymes attached to?
the luminal membrane of the small intestinal cells
what are polysaccharides broken into?
monosaccharides
polysaccharide vs disaccharide breakdown
polysaccharides mainly by salivary amylase and pancreatic enzymes
disaccharides mainly by brush border enzymes
what is a triglyceride made of?
a back bone of glycerol with 3 fatty acids attached by ester bonds
what are triglycerides broken into?
2 free fatty acids and a monoglycerides
what does incomplete digestion result in?
malabsorption
what are triglycerides broken down by?
gastric lipase (minor), mainly pancreatic lipase, also bile salts
what are the methods of absorption?
- simple diffusion
- carrier-mediated (amino acids and sugars) — secondary active and facilitated diffusion
- (receptor-mediated) endocytosis — vit B12 and intrinsic factor (both produced by stomach parietal cells) and cholesterol
what are the different sites of absorption?
- mouth, oesophagus, stomach — limited diffusion
- duodenum and jejunum - MAJOR SITE
- ileum
- colon
- rectum - limited diffusion
what is absorbed in the ileum?
vit B12, bile salts and K+ (all in terminal ileum)
what is absorbed in the colon?
Na+, some H2O, and short chain fatty acids
describe the sublingual and suppository routes of drug delivery
- avoid 1st pass metabolism by the liver
- mouth and rectum — the blood at these sites of absorption goes straight to heart instead of liver via portal vein
what is the total SA of the SI?
200 m2
what does a decreased SA lead to?
malabsorption
what transport proteins are expressed on the apical/brush border membrane for glucose and galactose transport?
SGLT1 - mediate Na+ dependent co-transport of glucose and galactose
what generates the sodium gradient for the movement of glucose and galactose into the cell?
NaK ATPase on the interstitial membrane
what does the sodium gradient enable in CHO absorption?
sodium gradient is used to drive glucose transport into the cell, so it can move in against its conc gradient throguh SGLT1- secondary active transport process
what is secondary active transport? what is an example of primary active transport?
against a conc gradient, energy derived from Na+ gradient created by Na+ pump
Na+ pump = primary active transport
what is absorbed along with glucose?
sodium
what happens as glucose accumulates in cell?
sets up a conc grad — allows glucose to leave the cell via glucose transporters (GLUT2) = facilities diffusion
via what does fructose enter and leave the cell?
enters via GLUT5 and leaves via GLUT2
what does GLUT4 have a dependency for?
insulin
what does a lack of transporters result in?
malabsorption
describe glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome
- genetic disease
- SGLT1 (glucose transporter on apical membrane) mutated = no absorption of glucose or galactose
- severe and potentially fatal diarrhoea in infants (manifests early, lack nutrition and become dehydrated rapidly)
- treatment = avoid glucose and galactose
how many dietary amino acids are there?
20
50% of amino acids are absorbed as di and tri peptides by what?
PepT1
other 50% by specific transporters
what happens to peptides in enterocyte?
hydrolysed to amino acid (released into blood as aa)
name some amino acid specific transporters. superfamily?
PepT1 uses what gradient for transfer of peptides across the membrane?
H+ gradient — cotransport
alanine transport?
Bo cotransport — alanine and Na+
XAG- transproter?
what is Hartnup disease?
a rare genetic disease — B0 transporter affected
what is cystinuria?
an inherited condition characterized by a buildup of the amino acid, cystine, in the kidneys and bladder. This leads to the formation of cystine crystals and/or stones which may block the urinary tract.
B0 transproter is affected
fat digestion problems leads to deficiencies in which vitamins?
K, A and D
what enzyme mainly influences fat digestion?
pancreatic lipase
what are the 2 major roles of bile salts?
- emulsification of large fat droplets to increase the SA for action of lipase
- formation of mixed micelles = stabilises products of triglyceride hydrolysis (monoglyceride and fatty acids) while they are ‘translocated’ to apical membrane
what do mixed micelles consist of?
monoglcyerides, fatty acids, bile slats, phospholipids and cholesterol
what does a lack of bile result in?
steatorrhoea
what is the average dissociation constant of free fatty acids? what does this mean?
pKa of 4.9
means that at a pH of 4.9, 50% of the fatty acids will be in the undissociated form (simple diffusion is possible in the undissociated form)
if you go more acidic than 4.9, more than 50% will be in the undissociated form, opposite for above 4.9 (more alkali)
what is the pH of the lining/wall of the SI?
pH 6.5 (slight acidity) — therefore few FFAs in the undissociated state
name 2 fatty acid transporters
FAT (fatty acid transproter) + CD36
SFCA (short chain fatty acid) transporters in colon
what happens after fatty acids and monoglycerides are absorbed?
- triglycerides resynthesised in endoplasmic reticulum and packaged into chylomicrons
- chylomicrons then leave by exocytosis
- chylomicrons transproted in lymphatic system to liver (lacteal)