Action of mercury on sugar transport across rat small intestine, in vivo

Abstract

Absorption of galactose from in vivo perfused rat jejunum was inhibited by 0.1-0.5 mM Hg2+.A few minutes' delay was required for maximal inhibition values.The effects remained after saline solution washing but were in part reversed by EDTA and in higher proportion by dithioerythritol.Absorption inhibition could be ascribed to impairment of the sugar-Na phlorizin-sensitive cotransport component: The passive apparently diffusional component that remains under 0.5 mM phlorizin and absorption of L-sorbose were unaffected by the metal.Hg action is explained as due to its binding to thiol and perhaps other chemical groups of proteins, at different depths in the membrane, which are directly or indirectly related to the sugar transport system.