Effect of bicarbonate or base precursor on water and solute absorption from a glucose-electrolyte solution in the human jejunum

A modified perfusion technique was used to examine the effect on water and solute absorption in the healthy human jejunum of replacing bicarbonate (18 mmol/l) by equivalent amounts of different base precursors in a glucose-electrolyte solution. Acetate, citrate and lactate were absorbed from the perfusion solutions. Absorption of these base precursors appeared to have no effect on water uptake, but greater sodium (p less than 0.05) absorption occurred from solutions containing either acetate or lactate compared with the bicarbonate-containing solution. These data suggest that oral rehydration solutions with base precursors other than bicarbonate are as effective as bicarbonate-containing solutions in promoting absorption of water and electrolytes.