GB 10. Digestion and Absorption of Lipids. The Handling of Iron in the Body Flashcards
What is the structure of a triacylclycerol?
- 1 glycerol molcules
- 3 fatty acid chains
What is a saturated fatty acid?
fatty acid with NO double bonds
What is monounsaturated fatty acids?
fatty acid with 1 double bond
What is polyunsaturated fatty acids?
fatty acid with 2 or more double bonds
What are the 3 principle sites of lipid digestion? What is involved in each site?
[1] MOUTH
- mastication
- emulsification
- lingual lipase
[2] STOMACH
- gastric lipase
[3] SMALL INTESTINE
- pancreatic enzymes
- emulsification
What is emulsification of lipids in the mouth? What does it allow for?
- breakdown of large droplets of lipid into tiny droplets
- requred for efficient digestion of lipids
- allows enzymes to gain access to lipid substrates
- starts with chewing (mastication)
What enzymes are involved in the breakdown of lipids in the stomach? Describe the enzymes a bit
[1] Lingual Lipase
[2] Gastric Lipase
- both are lipases
- relatively acid stable
- act on TAGs with short to medium FA chains (less than 12 carbons)
- important in neonates (to digest milk fat) and patients lacking pancreatic lipase [!!!]
Emulsification first occurs in the mouth, but is then further continued in…
the intestine
- specifically, the duodenum
What happens during emulsification in the intestine?
- it increases the surface area of lipid droplets so enzymes can work at lipid/aqueous interface
How is emulsification of lipids in the small intestine achieved by? [2]
[1] Bile Salts - detergent properties
[2] Peristalsis - mechanical mixing
What are the pancreatic enzymes involved in the digestion of lipids? Explain some processes.
[1] Pancreatic Lipase
- binds to surface of droplet in presence of Pancreatic Colipase
[2] Colipase-Lipase Complex (Pancreatic Lipase)
- spreads over surface of droplet
- leads to hydrolysis of triglycerides to monoacylglycerol and fatty acids
[3] Cholesterol Esterase
- hydrolyzes cholesteryl esters to cholesterol + free fatty acids
- activity increased by bile salts
[4] Phospholipase A2
- digests phospholipid to lysophospholipid by removing 1 fatty acid
- activated by trypsin
- requires bile salts for optimum activity
[5] Lysophospholipase
- removes remaining fatty acid at C1
- leaving glycerylphosphoryl base: excreted, further degraded or absorbed
The products of fat digestion are formed into what?
Mixed Micelles
- bile salts
- free fatty acids
- free cholesterol
- 2-monoacylglycerol
What do mixed micelles contain?
Mixed Micelles
- bile salts
- free fatty acids
- free cholesterol
- 2-monoacylglycerol
Explain how lipids are absorbed by enterocytes. [2]
[1] Micelle has Hydrophilic Surface
- can cross water layer brush border of enterocyte
- transports hydrophobic lipids across border
[2] Short/Medium Chain FAs
- do NOT require mixed micelles for absorption
After they are absorbed, lipids can be excreted from enterocytes to aid in chylomicron formation. Explain this.
- fatty acids and monglyceride are transported into the ER where they are used to make TRIGLYCERIDE
- triglycerides are grouped with:
- – cholesterol esters
- – free cholesterol
- – phospholipids
- – vitamins
- – apolipoprotein B48
- they form into chylomicrons
- they then go to Golgi Apparatus
After the formation of chylomicrons, what happens to them?
- they are excreted from Golgi Apparatus into EXOCYTOTIC VESICLES
- transported to basolateral aspect (membrane) of enterocyte
- the vesicles fuse with plasma membrane and undergo exocytosis
- chylomicrons enter extracellular space and enter lymph
What are the primary products of lipid digestion?
[1] Free Fatty Acids
[2] Free Cholesterol
[3] 2-Monoacylglycerol
What is the secretion of pancreatic enzymes controlled by?
it is hormonally controlled
The absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A,D,K,E) are dependent on 3 factors which are:
[1] Bile Salts
[2] Normal Pancreatic Function
[3] Normal Intestinal Cells
What are the causes of some Malabsorption syndromes?
[1] Pancreatic Insufficiency
- chronic pancreatitis
[2] Inadequate Mucosal Surface
- as in coeliac disease (gluten sensitivity) due to flattening of villi
[3] Inflammatory States
- Crohn’s Disease
- may affect entire bowel
[4] Infection
- acute (salmonella) or chronic (tropical sprue) leading to intestinal hurry
[5] Surgery
- surgical resection or fistulae of small bowel
[6] Cystic Fibrosis
- pancreatic enzyme deficiency
[7] Disaccharidase Deficiency
- e.g. congenital or acquired lactase deficiency
- or congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency
What are the symptoms of malabsorption? What is it normally accompanied by?
- weight loss + weakness
- failure to thrive (babies)
frequently accompanied by….
- steathorrhoea (visible fat in stools)
- intestinal discomfort
- diarrohea