HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 292/5/G1293    most recent 00221.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Law, G. K. Articles by Ball, R. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Law, G. K. Articles by Ball, R. O.

MUCOSAL BIOLOGY

Adequate oral threonine is critical for mucin production and gut function in neonatal piglets

¹Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta; ²Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland; and ³The Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Departments of Paediatrics and Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Submitted 18 May 2006 ; accepted in final form 13 January 2007

In previous experiments, we found that the threonine requirement of neonatal piglets fed parenterally was 40% of that when fed intragastrically; we hypothesized that much of the oral supply of threonine is being used for mucin production. To investigate this hypothesis, intragastrically fed 2-day-old piglets were fed one of three treatments for 8 days: 1) a threonine-adequate diet (IG-A; 0.6 g threonine·kg^–1·day^–1 fed intragastrically); 2) a threonine-deficient diet (IG-D; 0.1 g threonine·kg^–1·day^–1 fed intragastrically); or 3) a threonine-deficient diet with adequate threonine delivered parenterally (IV-A; 0.5 g threonine·kg^–1·day^–1 fed parenterally plus 0.1 g threonine·kg^–1·day^–1 fed intragastrically). IG-D piglets experienced higher nitrogen excretion, higher plasma urea, and lower plasma threonine concentrations versus both of the other groups (P < 0.05), indicating profound threonine deficiency. Mucosal mass and total crude mucin content were lower in the colons of IG-D pigs (P < 0.05). Histopathological analysis showed lower numbers of acidic mucin-producing goblet cells in the duodenum and ileum of IG-D pigs. In IG-D pigs, acidic mucin subtypes were lower in the small intestine but higher in the colon, which corresponded with persistent diarrhea. The parenteral supply of threonine was adequate to maintain most outcome parameters, although IV-A pigs did have smaller colonic goblet cells with more acidic mucins compared with IG-A pigs. Overall, our results suggest that adequate dietary threonine was critical in the production of mucus and that a parenteral threonine supply can ameliorate most of the symptoms of oral threonine deficiency.

small intestine; colon; parenteral

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Remond, C. Buffiere, J.-P. Godin, P. P. Mirand, C. Obled, I. Papet, D. Dardevet, G. Williamson, D. Breuille, and M. Faure Intestinal Inflammation Increases Gastrointestinal Threonine Uptake and Mucin Synthesis in Enterally Fed Minipigs J. Nutr., April 1, 2009; 139(4): 720 - 726. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. P Chapman, G. Courtney-Martin, A. M Moore, R. O Ball, and P. B Pencharz Threonine requirement of parenterally fed postsurgical human neonates Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2009; 89(1): 134 - 141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. L. Nichols and R. F. Bertolo Luminal Threonine Concentration Acutely Affects Intestinal Mucosal Protein and Mucin Synthesis in Piglets J. Nutr., July 1, 2008; 138(7): 1298 - 1303. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. van der Schoor, D. L Wattimena, J. Huijmans, A. Vermes, and J. B van Goudoever The gut takes nearly all: threonine kinetics in infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2007; 86(4): 1132 - 1138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]