Differential effects of lipid and carbohydrate on enterocyte lactase activity in newborn piglets

Abstract

SUMMARYThe influence of enteral feeding in the neonate on lactase-phlorizin hydrolase activity in the small intestine has been determined in newborn piglets fed a series of modified colostra, with a controlled metabolizable energy intake, during the first 31-5 h of life. Striking differences were observed between lactase specific activity in mucosal homogenates and enterocyte lactase activity along the villus axis; compared with newborns, the former decreased after feeding colostrum, whereas the latter increased significantly. When lipid was present in adequate amount, the increase in enterocyte lactase activity occurred when carbohydrate was present as either lactose or galactose. However, when the lipid content of the diet was low, there was a specific effect of carbohydrate composition which was dependent on position along the villus axis: in the lower villus, colostra high in lactose or glucose stimulated an increase in lactase, but there was no such effect with a high galactose intake. It is concluded that colostrum increases enterocyte lactase activity during the first day of life, and that this is dependent on both the nutrient composition of the diet and the position of the enterocytes along the villus.

Influence of feeding different amounts of first colostrum on metabolic, endocrine, and health status and on growth performance in neonatal calves.

“…A rise of preprandial plasma glucose concentrations during the 1st wk of life was expected (Grü tter and Blum, 1991a;Hammon and Blum, 1998), and this supports the studies in which colostrum intake in high amounts and immediately after birth was shown to have prolonged positive effects on the plasma glucose status during the 1st wk of life in calves. This may be due to stimulation of small intestinal lactase activity, hence lactose digestion and absorption of glucose and galactose (Tivey et al, 1994), but lactose content on a DM basis is lower in first colostrum than in mature milk or MR, and lactose intake was smaller in GrCH than in GrCL during the 1st wk of life. The same postprandial glucose responses in both groups despite a smaller lactose intake in GrCH than in GrCL may have been due to enhanced gluconeogenesis by glucagon, the concentrations of which on d 2 and 3 in GrCH were higher than in GrCL.…”

Intestinal Development in Neonatal Calves: Effects of Glucocorticoids and Dependence on Colostrum Feeding¹

“…Colostrum instead of milk replacer feeding elevated the aminopeptidase N activity, but not the aminopeptidase A and dipeptidyl peptidase IV activities in neonatal pigs [35]. Feeding of colostrum or colostral factors like IGF-I or insulin are able to stimulate enzyme activities in neonatal pigs and rats [35][36][37][38][39]. These effects may arise on the one side from the nutritional composition of colostrum (e.g., high protein levels) and on the other side may be due to effects of nonnutritive substances like growth factors and hormones (IGF-I and IGF-II, insulin, etc.)…”

Physiology of the Neonatal Gastrointestinal System Relevant to the Disposition of Orally Administered Medications

“…Pig colostrum contains relatively high levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-related growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II; therefore, rapid development of the pancreas is thought to be driven in part by these colostral growth factors, in addition to the higher levels of neonatal glucocorticoids compared with rats (Mubiru and Xu, 1998). Other studies have also demonstrated a clear role for neonatal feeding and hormones in the digestive capacity of the neonatal pig (James et al, 1987;Tivey et al, 1994;Burrin et al, 2001;Sangild et al, 2002) (Tables 6 and 7).…”

“…Lactase-phorizin hydrolase Present and functional at birth; typically declines after weaning, but variable in different populations (Montgomery et al, 1991) Transcribed from birth in jejunum with transient expression in ileum and colon (Freund et al, 1990) Present in late gestation and active at birth but activity decreases in second postnatal week (Shulman et al, 1988;Tivey et al, 1994;Buddington and Malo, 1996;Wang and Xu, 1996;Burrin et al, 2001) Low at birth with subsequent increase in dogs Rapid increase in activity in jejunum and colon during 1st week postnatally, with subsequent decline at weaning (Henning, 1981;Foltzer-Jourdainne and Raul, 1990) Sucrase-isomaltase complex Synthesized as pro-form in utero, but not functional until approximately GW 26; also transiently expressed in colon of neonates (Triadou and Zweibaum, 1985) RNA not detected in neonates; Activity low or not detected until PND 14 in small intestine, but increases rapidly through weaning (PND 21); transiently expressed in colon near weaning (Henning, 1981;Toofanian, 1984;Foltzer-Jourdainne et al, 1989;Galand, 1989;Freund et al, 1990;Leeper and Henning, 1990) Present at birth with increase in activity during second postnatal week (James et al, 1987;Shulman et al, 1988;Smith, 1988) Present at birth in dogs but not rabbits; increased activity at weaning (Galand, 1989) Physiology of the Neonatal Gastrointestinal System…”