The Postnatal Development of Sodium Transport in the Proximal Small Intestine of the Rabbit

Summary: To investigate the postnatal development of intestinal Na+ transport, a major determinant of fluid absorption, we measured spontaneous and glucose-coupled Na+ transport across short-circuited epithelium and in isolated villus enterocytes from rabbit jejunum at age intervals after birth. Villus cells from suckling animals actively transported Na+ and responded to glucose, but their capacity to do so was less than that of villus cells from older animals. Net Na+ fluxes across short-circuited epithelium from suckling animals failed to respond to glucose, remaining negligible and less than adult values. This lack of response to glucose in tissue from younger animals was associated with marked paracellular shunting as evidenced by greater unidirectional fluxes and greater tissue conductance. Villus enterocytes from suckling animals compared to those from adults had reduced (Na+—K+)ATPase activity, but were rich in thymidine kinase. We conclude that proximal intestinal epithelium in suckling animals has a limited capacity for active Na+ transport, is incompletely differentiated, and is leaky, with a greater permeability for ions compared with adult intestine. Speculation: Changes which occur in intestinal Na+ transport during postnatal development may be important in the pathogenesis of infant diarrhea, and relative limitations of intestinal transport capacity may contribute to the infant's susceptibility to dehydration following enteric infection.