Enhancement of glucose transport in small intestinal brush border membrane of retinol administered rat

Retinylpalmitate (200 IU/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally to rats once daily for 4 days. Brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) were prepared from small intestinal epithelium cells from along the crypt-villus axis. D-glucose uptake by BBMVs was examined under the inwardly directed Na+ gradient. The D-glucose uptake by BBMVs from the villus-tip and mid-villus cells of retinylpalmitate treated rats was significantly larger than that of control (corn oil treated) rats, respectively. Thus, retinol treatment of rats promoted the D-glucose transport in small intestinal brush border membrane. Interestingly, the enhancement of D-glucose transport was more prominent in villus-tip and mid-villus than in lower villus.