Abstract
Background and Aims
The digestion and absorption processes play a key role in human glucose homeostasis, mainly comprising the coupled work of the stomach and small intestine. Although 85-90% of carbohydrates digestion and 85% of glucose absorption occur in the small intestine, the rate of digestion and absorption is heavily influenced by chyme flow dynamics and composition (proteins, fats, fiber and carbohydrates) in both stomach and small intestine. The aim is to describe glucose concentration dynamics in the portal vein, given the description of an ingested meal, which is a fundamental work for the construction of an artificial pancreas for diabetes mellitus patients.
Methods
A coupled Phenomenological Based Semi-physical Model (PBSM) of the role of the stomach and intestine in the glucose homeostasis is proposed in order to simulate the change of glucose blood levels in portal vein. This model is based on mass and energy balances and can be adapted to the real physiology of the patient using parameters which possess different levels of interpretability.
Results
The simulation allows to obtain data for chyme transit time, rheological properties, glucose consumption, production and absorption, all along the gastrointestinal tract comprised between the stomach and the small intestine. Using this data, the change of glucose concentration in the portal vein is calculated.
Conclusions
The simulated dynamics of chyme flow behave in accordance to physiological data retrieved from literature, allowing to validate the dynamics of glucose concentration in the portal vein. This data can be further included in an integrated model of glucose homeostasis for artificial pancreas systems.
