Methods: Five iso-caloric diets, enriched with liquid (in water 30% vol/vol) or solid (in diet 65% g/g) fructose or sucrose or a
control diet were fed for eight weeks to C57bl/6 mice. Sugar, liquid and caloric intake, small intestinal sugar transporters
(GLUT2/5) and weight regulating hormone mRNA expression, as well as hepatic fat accumulation were measured. In obese
versus lean humans that underwent either bariatric surgery or small bowel resection, we analyzed small intestinal GLUT2,
GLUT5, and cholecystokinin expression.
Results: In mice, the liquid high-sucrose diet caused an enhancement of total caloric intake compared to the solid highsucrose
diet and the control diet. In addition, the liquid high-sucrose diet increased expression of GLUT2, GLUT5, and
cholecystokinin expression in the ileum (P,0.001). Enhanced liver triglyceride accumulation was observed in mice being fed
the liquid high-sucrose or -fructose, and the solid high-sucrose diet compared to controls. In obese, GLUT2 and GLUT5
mRNA expression was enhanced in comparison to lean individuals.
Conclusions: We show that the form of sugar intake (liquid versus solid) is presumably more important than the type of
sugar, with regard to feeding behavior, intestinal sugar uptake and liver fat accumulation in mice. Interestingly, in obese
individuals, an intestinal sugar transporter modulation also occurred when compared to lean individuals.