Comment on: Gorboulev et al. Na+-D-glucose Cotransporter SGLT1 Is Pivotal for Intestinal Glucose Absorption and Glucose-Dependent Incretin Secretion. Diabetes 2012;61:187–196

The elegant paper from Koepsell and colleagues (1) demonstrates the apical GLUT2 mechanism, but appears at first sight to question its significance. However, when set in a physiological context, the results are those expected from the three roles of SGLT1 and the differences between fed rat and starved mouse. SGLT1 acts as 1 ) a transporter and 2 ) a powerful scavenger. In 2000, my laboratory proposed that SGLT1 also has 3 ) a pivotal regulatory role, controlling the rapid insertion and activation of GLUT2 at the enterocyte apical membrane so that absorptive capacity matches glucose load. …