Effects of starvation and undernourishment on some electrical parameters of the small intestine of the desert gerbil (Gerbillus cheesmani)

The effect of starvation (4 days, water ad lib) and undernourishment (50% control food intake for 21 days) on the potential differences (pd in mV), basal short-circuit current (Isc in mAcm-2), resistance (R in Ohms cm-2) and glucose-dependent short-circuit current (Isc in mAcm-2), across stripped sheets of jejunum and ileum of the gerbil (Gerbillus cheesmani) were investigated. The effects of replacing sodium chloride by lithium chloride, replacing chloride in Krebs buffer by gluconate and the effects of removing bicarbonate from bathing buffers were also investigated. Starvation and undernourishment produced a significant increase in the basal Isc as well as in the glucose dependent Isc of both jejunum and ileum. Replacing sodium chloride by lithium chloride decreased the basal Isc of jejunum and ileum by the same magnitude in the three feeding conditions (fed, starvation and undernourishement). Replacing chloride by gluconate or removing bicarbonate from bathing buffer decreased the basal Isc across jejuna and ilea taken from starved and undernourished gerbils only. Therefore, this study showed that in gerbils, starvation and undernourishment increased the basal Isc of the jejunum and ileum. It also showed that jejuna and ilea taken from starved and undernourished animals were more sensitive than those taken from fed gerbils when Cl- was replaced by gluconate or when bicarbonate were removed from bathing buffers