Effect of the artificial sweetener, sucralose, on small intestinal glucose absorption in healthy human subjects

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 104; no. 6; pp. 803 - 806
• Main Authors: Ma, Jing, Chang, Jessica, Checklin, Helen L., Young, Richard L., Jones, Karen L., Horowitz, Michael, Rayner, Christopher K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 28.09.2010
• Subjects: 3-O-Methylglucose; 3-O-Methylglucose - blood; Absorption; administration & dosage; Adult; adults; adverse effects; analogs & derivatives; Artificial sweeteners; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Blood; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism; drug effects; duodenum; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 - blood; glucagon-like peptides; Glucose; Glucose - administration & dosage; Glucose - metabolism; GLUT 2; glycemic control; glycemic effect; human nutrition; Humans; intestinal absorption; Intestinal Absorption - drug effects; Intestine, Small; Intestine, Small - drug effects; Intestine, Small - metabolism; Male; metabolism; Nutrition research; pharmacology; physiological response; Reference Values; risk assessment; Single-Blind Method; Small intestine; Sodium-dependent GLUT 1; sucralose; Sucrose; Sucrose - analogs & derivatives; Sucrose - pharmacology; Sweetening Agents; Sweetening Agents - pharmacology; uptake mechanisms; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; GLUT 2; Glucagon-like peptide-1; Sodium-dependent GLUT 1; 3-O-methylglucose; Human; Healthy subject; Digestive system; Gut; Glucose; Glucagon like peptide 1; Vertebrata; Gastrointestinal hormone; Absorption; Mammalia; Sodium; Sweetener
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114510001327

It has been reported that the artificial sweetener, sucralose, stimulates glucose absorption in rodents by enhancing apical availability of the transporter GLUT2. We evaluated whether exposure of the proximal small intestine to sucralose affects glucose absorption and/or the glycaemic response to an intraduodenal (ID) glucose infusion in healthy human subjects. Ten healthy subjects were studied on two separate occasions in a single-blind, randomised order. Each subject received an ID infusion of sucralose (4 mm in 0·9 % saline) or control (0·9 % saline) at 4 ml/min for 150 min (T = − 30 to 120 min). After 30 min (T = 0), glucose (25 %) and its non-metabolised analogue, 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG; 2·5 %), were co-infused intraduodenally (T = 0–120 min; 4·2 kJ/min (1 kcal/min)). Blood was sampled at frequent intervals. Blood glucose, plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and serum 3-OMG concentrations increased during ID glucose/3-OMG infusion (P < 0·005 for each). However, there were no differences in blood glucose, plasma GLP-1 or serum 3-OMG concentrations between sucralose and control infusions. In conclusion, sucralose does not appear to modify the rate of glucose absorption or the glycaemic or incretin response to ID glucose infusion when given acutely in healthy human subjects.