NICKEL DEFICIENCY ALTERS NICKEL FLUX IN RAT EVERTED INTESTINAL SACS

This study was conducted to determine nickel absorption in nickel-defi cient rats. Jejunal segments obtained from dietary nickel-depleted (13 mu g nickel/kg diet) and nickel-control (1 mg nickel/kg diet) adult r ats from the first generation, and suckling pups from the second offsp ring were used. The nickel transfer across the intestinal epithelium a nd nickel uptake into the intestine were measured by use of everted je junal sacs using a wide range of nickel concentrations administered on the luminal side (1.1 x 10(-8) M til 1.0 x 10(-4) M). Both the intest inal nickel transfer and nickel uptake were influenced by the dietary nickel supply in rat offspring, but not in the adult rats from the fir st generation. However, in nickel-deficient offspring, the nickel tran sfer across the small intestine was higher than in nickel-control offs pring. This difference was greater using low intraluminal nickel conce ntrations than high nickel concentrations, and was significant at 1.1 x 10(-8) M, 6.1 x 10(-8) M, 5.1 x 10(-7) M, 1.0 x 10(-6) M, and 5.0 x 10(-6) M. Also, nickel uptake into the intestine was somewhat greater in nickel-deficient rat pups than in nickel-control pups, and signific ant using 1.1 x 10(-7) M and 1.0 x 10(-6) M nickel. A definite saturat ion type kinetic for the intestinal nickel absorption in relation to t he intraluminal nickel concentration could not be observed.