Fate of digesta ribonucleic acid in small intestine of sheep.

A new approach for measurement of ribonucleic acid is based on extraction of ribonucleic acid by combined action of a detergent and high speed homogenization followed by precipitation of ribonucleic acid with cadmium +2 ions and its subsequent measure with orcinol. Disappearance of digesta ribonucleic acid flowing along the small intestine was measured in six rams, each equipped with three T-shaped cannulas that were placed in six sites of the small intestine. Chromic oxide was a marker to measure rate of flow of digesta. Net disappearance of ribonucleic acid was completed 7 m from the pylorus, amounting to 83.9% of the quantity which entered the duodenum. About 50% of the net degraded ribonucleic acid disappeared in the 1st m of the small intestine.