MALTITOL INCREASES TRANSEPITHELIAL DIFFUSIONAL TRANSFER OF CALCIUM INRAT ILEUM

We explored the mechanism whereby maltitol causes an increase of calci um absorption in the lower small intestine using everted ileal segment s of rats. Under the calcium concentrations tested (1-20mM), which ena bled us to assess the diffusional calcium transfer, maltitol in the mu cosal-side medium (100mM) caused a 155% greater transepithelial calciu m transfer as compared with the segments incubated without sugars. The maltitol-induced increment of cacium transfer was significantly highe r than those elicited by glucose, sorbitol and maltose, and this incre ase was completely inhibited by W7, a calmodulin antagonist. Thus, our results suggest that maltitol might modulate the permeability of calc ium through paracellular path, which possibly involves the activation of calmodulin.