Abstract
Three 28 day-old $Duroc{\times}Large$ $White{\times}Landrace$ litter mate gilts weighing an average of 6.5 kg were used to study the intestinal absorption of amino acids when provided in dipeptide form or in the form of a free amino acid mixture. The pigs were given one of three treatments. The control involved a duodenal infusion containing no amino-acids (phosphate buffer plus 5% sorbitol) while the remaining two treatments involved either a duodenal infusion containing a glycine-lysine dipeptide (1 g) or a mixture of the free amino acids glycine and lysine at the same concentration as in the dipeptide. Blood was drawn from a cannula inserted in the portal vein, at 5 to 20 minute intervals, for two hours following infusion. The concentration of intact dipeptide as well as free glycine and lysine in the portal blood was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The intact dipeptide was never detected in the portal blood at any time after infusion. Lysine appeared in the portal blood more rapidly after infusion of dipeptide than after infusion of free lysine and the concentration of lysine in portal blood was higher in the pig infused with the dipeptide than after infusion of free lysine at almost all time points measured. The cumulative absorption of lysine and glycine from the intestine during the two hour period after infusion was greater in the pig infused with dipeptide than in the pig infused with free amino acids. The results suggest that although intact dipeptide did not reach he portal circulation, a special transport mechanism for absorption of dipeptide by intestinal cells appears to be present in pigs similar to that observed in other species.