Feeding an elemental diet vs a milk-based formula does not decrease intestinal mucosal growth in infant pigs

TY - JOUR

T1 - Feeding an elemental diet vs a milk-based formula does not decrease intestinal mucosal growth in infant pigs

AU - Stoll, Barbara

AU - Price, Pamela T

AU - Reeds, Peter J

AU - Chang, Xiaoyan

AU - Henry, Josef F

AU - van Goudoever, Johannes B

AU - Holst, Jens Juul

AU - Burrin, Douglas G

PY - 2006/1/3

Y1 - 2006/1/3

N2 - BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the level of enteral nutrient intake determines the rate of intestinal growth in piglets. Our objective was to determine whether providing enteral nutrition in the form of elemental nutrients (glucose, amino acids, lipid [ED]) rather than cow's milk formula (lactose, protein, lipid [FORM]) reduces small intestinal growth and lactase activity.METHODS: Three-week-old piglets were fed either ED (n = 7) intragastrically or FORM (n = 6) orally for 6 days.RESULTS: Intestinal protein and DNA masses, villus height, and crypt depth were not different in ED and FORM pigs. Crypt cell proliferation, measured by in vivo bromodeoxyuridine labeling, was significantly (p < .05) higher (+37%) in ED than in FORM pigs. Rates of mucosal protein synthesis (%/d), measured by in vivo 2H-leucine incorporation, were higher (p < .05) in ED than FORM (147 vs 89) pigs. Circulating concentrations (pmol/L) of the intestinotrophic peptide, glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), were also higher (p < .05) in ED than in FORM (148 vs 87) pigs. The mean lactase-specific activity (micromol/min/g) in proximal and distal segments was higher (p < .05) in FORM than in ED (124 vs 58) pigs.CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that intestinal mucosal growth and villus morphology are similar in pigs fed ED and FORM, despite higher cell proliferation and protein synthesis rates and lower lactase activity with ED. This implies that elemental diets may be as trophic as polymeric formulas to simultaneously provide nutrition and a stimulus for intestinal growth during bowel rest.

AB - BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the level of enteral nutrient intake determines the rate of intestinal growth in piglets. Our objective was to determine whether providing enteral nutrition in the form of elemental nutrients (glucose, amino acids, lipid [ED]) rather than cow's milk formula (lactose, protein, lipid [FORM]) reduces small intestinal growth and lactase activity.METHODS: Three-week-old piglets were fed either ED (n = 7) intragastrically or FORM (n = 6) orally for 6 days.RESULTS: Intestinal protein and DNA masses, villus height, and crypt depth were not different in ED and FORM pigs. Crypt cell proliferation, measured by in vivo bromodeoxyuridine labeling, was significantly (p < .05) higher (+37%) in ED than in FORM pigs. Rates of mucosal protein synthesis (%/d), measured by in vivo 2H-leucine incorporation, were higher (p < .05) in ED than FORM (147 vs 89) pigs. Circulating concentrations (pmol/L) of the intestinotrophic peptide, glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), were also higher (p < .05) in ED than in FORM (148 vs 87) pigs. The mean lactase-specific activity (micromol/min/g) in proximal and distal segments was higher (p < .05) in FORM than in ED (124 vs 58) pigs.CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that intestinal mucosal growth and villus morphology are similar in pigs fed ED and FORM, despite higher cell proliferation and protein synthesis rates and lower lactase activity with ED. This implies that elemental diets may be as trophic as polymeric formulas to simultaneously provide nutrition and a stimulus for intestinal growth during bowel rest.

KW - Animals

KW - Animals, Newborn

KW - Cell Division

KW - Enteral Nutrition

KW - Female

KW - Food, Formulated

KW - Glucagon-Like Peptide 2

KW - Glucagon-Like Peptides

KW - Intestinal Mucosa

KW - Lactase

KW - Organ Size

KW - Protein Biosynthesis

KW - Random Allocation

KW - Swine

KW - Weight Gain

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16387897

SN - 0148-6071

VL - 30

SP - 32

EP - 39

JO - Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

JF - Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

IS - 1

ER -