Case Study 4
The pancreatic amylase in the small intestine aids in the digestion of carbohydrates. Besides, the small intestine has brush borders that produce enzyme α-dextrinase. This enzyme breaks off units of glucose one at a time by acting on α-dextrin. Besides, the brush border enzymes of the small intestine hydrolyze the disaccharides units to monosaccharides. These disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, and galactose (Aryal, 2020).
Moreover, the small intestine's brush border cells produce dipeptidase and aminopeptidase that aid in the digestion of proteins by breaking down its peptide chains. The pancreatic lipase produced by the pancreas and found in the small intestine breaks down lipids into a monoglyceride and free fatty acids, hence aiding in the digestion of fats and lipids. Other chemicals involved in the digestion of fats include lingual and gastric lipases found in the mouth and stomach, respectively.
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Additionally, the small intestine has villi and micro-villi that increase its surface area for the absorption of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Moreover, it has a thin epithelium that makes it easier for the digested materials to pass through its membrane easily for absorption. The small intestine has a sodium-glucose cotransporter that helps in the secondary transport of carbohydrates across its membrane (Aryal, 2020). Besides, there are sodium transporters that transport amino acids through facilitated diffusion across the membrane. There are also hydrogen dependent cotransporters that transport di and tripeptides.
There is little evidence on the impact of inflammation of the small intestine on its motility. However, inflammation causes delayed gastric emptying, gastric distension, and even intestinal dilation (Peuhkuri et al., 2010). Moreover, inflammation leads to a change in brain-gut peptides like calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and Cholecystokinin (CCK) in the jejunum tissue as well as in the plasma. These peptides are released as a result of stress in the case of inflammation and are involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal motility.
References
Aryal, S., & Aryal, S. (2020). Digestion and Absorption of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats | Human Physiology | Microbe Notes. Retrieved 13 July 2020, from https://microbenotes.com/digestion-and-absorption-of-carbohydrates-proteins-and-fats/
Peuhkuri, K., Vapaatalo, H., & Korpela, R. (2010). Even low-grade inflammation impacts on small intestinal function. World journal of gastroenterology: WJG , 16 (9), 1057.
