128 



II. DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF FATS 



sired distention. During the flushing process, the stomach and cecum were 

 constantly massaged to remove any solid material. Usually 50 to 75 ml. 

 of ether were used. When the rats were sacrificed immediately after the 

 administration of the fat, about 95% could be recovered. The amount of 

 material soluble in petroleum ether which could be removed from the gas- 

 trointestinal tract of rats previously fasted was only 3 mg. for female rats 



Fig. 10. Comparison of the different pro- 

 cedures for expressing fat absorption in male 

 rats. 613 



A B C D 



Fig. 11. Comparison of the dif- 

 ferent procedures for expressing 

 fat absorption in female rats. 613 



Series A represents the total fat (margarine) absorbed, expressed in milligrams; 

 Series B gives percentage of ingested fat absorbed; Series C lists the milligrams of fat 

 absorbed per 100 g. body weight per hour; and Series D gives the milligrams of fat ab- 

 sorbed per 100 sq. cm. per hour. 



and 12 mg. for male rats. When diethyl ether was employed in place of 

 petroleum ether, the control value for intestinal lipids 614 was about 26 mg. 



The chief difference between the procedure of Deuel et aZ. 612 - 614 and that 

 of Irwin et al. 6n is the manner of expressing absorption. It was shown 

 that the best method for comparing the rate of absorption of different fats 

 is on the basis of body surface area. 613 Apparently the application of sur- 

 face area is not limited to basal metabolism ; it has also been shown to be 

 the most satisfactory index for the evaluation of the absorption of glucose. 615 



613 H. J. Deuel, Jr., in A. E. Bailey, ed., Cottonseed and Cottonseed Products, Intersci- 

 ence, New York and London, 1948, pp. 763-811 (p. 786). 



614 H. J. Deuel, Jr., L. Hallman, and A. Leonard, J. Nutrition, SO, 215-226 (1940). 

 616 E. M. MacKay and H. C. Bergman, /. Biol. Chem., 101, 453-462 (1933). 



