SUMMARY Fatty acid binding proteins (FABP) are highly abundant cytosolic proteins that are expressed in most mammalian tissues. In the intestinal enterocyte, both Liver- (LFABP; FABP1) and Intestinal-fatty acid binding proteins (IFABP; FABP2) are expressed. These proteins display high affinity binding for long chain fatty acids (FA) and other hydrophobic ligands, thus they are believed to be involved with uptake and trafficking of lipids in the intestine. In vitro studies have identified differences in ligand binding stoichiometry and specificity, and in mechanisms of FA transfer to membranes, and it has been hypothesized that LFABP and IFABP have difference functions in the enterocyte. Studies directly comparing LFABP- and IFABP-null mice have revealed markedly different phenotypes, indicating that these proteins indeed have different functions in intestinal lipid metabolism and whole body energy homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the evolving knowledge of the functions of LFABP and IFABP in the intestinal enterocyte.

It has long been known that mammalian enterocytes coexpress two members of the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) family, the intestinal FABP (IFABP) and the liver FABP (LFABP). Both bind long-chain fatty acids and have similar though not identical distributions in the intestinal tract. While a number of in vitro properties suggest the potential for different functions, the underlying reasons for expression of both proteins in the same cells are not known. Utilizing mice genetically lacking either IFABP or LFABP, we directly demonstrate that each of the enterocyte FABPs participates in specific pathways of intestinal lipid metabolism. In particular, LFABP appears to target fatty acids toward oxidative pathways and dietary monoacylglycerols toward anabolic pathways, while IFABP targets dietary fatty acids toward triacylglycerol synthesis. The two FABP-null models also displayed differences in whole body response to fasting, with LFABP-null animals losing less fat-free mass and IFABP-null animals losing more fat mass relative to wild-type mice. The metabolic changes observed in both null models appear to occur by nontranscriptional mechanisms, supporting the hypothesis that the enterocyte FABPs are specifically trafficking their ligands to their respective metabolic fates.

Background:Intestinal and liver fatty acid-binding proteins (IFABP and LFABP) are coexpressed in the enterocyte, but their individual functions are not known. Results: High fat feeding promotes different phenotypes in IFABP-and LFABP-null mice. Conclusion: IFABP and LFABP have unique intracellular functions, which in turn produce divergent whole body effects. Significance: Enterocyte FABP ablation modulates intestinal lipid metabolism, which contributes to altered systemic energy homeostasis.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of extrusion conditions on chemical composition and in vitro hydrolytic and fermentative digestion of barley grits, cornmeal, oat bran, soybean flour, soybean hulls, and wheat bran. Extrusion conditions altered crude protein, fiber, and starch concentrations of ingredients. Organic matter disappearance (OMD) increased for extruded versus unprocessed samples of barley grits, cornmeal, and soybean flour that had been hydrolytically digested. After 8 h of fermentative digestion, OMD decreased as extrusion conditions intensified for barley grits and cornmeal but increased for oat bran, soybean hulls, and wheat bran. Total short-chain fatty acid production decreased as extrusion conditions intensified for barley grits, soybean hulls, and soybean flour. These data suggest that the effects of extrusion conditions on ingredient composition and digestion are influenced by the unique chemical characteristics of individual substrates.