Increased Intestinal Absorption of Glucose in Three Forms of Obesity in the Mouse

¹ From the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

In three types of obesity in the mouse, obese-hyperglycemic syndrome, goldthioglucose obesity and hypothalamic obesity, there is observed an increase in intestinal absorption of glucose when the dose of glucose administered is sufficient. The difference with normal animals is due neither to differences in gastrointestinal weight nor to differences in rate of gastric emptying. This phenomenon appears to be an adaptative result of prolonged hyperphagia.