Abstract
AIM: To examine how enteral feeding affects the intestinal epigenome and gene expression just after preterm birth.
MATERIALS & METHODS: Intestinal tissue from preterm pigs, modeling preterm infants, was collected at birth and 5 days after gradual introduction of infant formula or bovine colostrum. The intestinal tissue was analyzed by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and real-time qPCR.
RESULTS: Relative to colostrum, formula increased bacterial epithelial adherence and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) expression, which was regulated by promoter methylation. Diet-dependent changes in DNA methylation and/or mRNA expression were related to innate immune response, hypoxia, angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways (e.g., TTC38, IL8, C3, HIF1A and VEGFR1).
CONCLUSION: Epigenetic changes may mediate important effects of the first feeding on intestinal development in preterm neonates.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Epigenomics |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 395-408 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISSN | 1750-1911 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2018 |