AJP - GI AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 296: G1085-G1090, 2009. First published February 26, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajpgi.90444.2008
0193-1857/09 $8.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
296/5/G1085    most recent
90444.2008v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schaart, M. W.
Right arrow Articles by van Goudoever, J. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Schaart, M. W.
Right arrow Articles by van Goudoever, J. B.

MUCOSAL BIOLOGY

Small intestinal MUC2 synthesis in human preterm infants

Maaike W. Schaart,1,2 Adrianus C. J. M. de Bruijn,1 Henk Schierbeek,1 Dick Tibboel,2 Ingrid B. Renes,1 and Johannes B. van Goudoever1

Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Departments of 1Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology and 2Pediatric Surgery, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Submitted 9 July 2008 ; accepted in final form 21 February 2009

Mucin 2 (MUC2) is the structural component of the intestinal protective mucus layer, which contains high amounts of threonine in its peptide backbone. MUC2 synthesis rate might be a potential parameter for intestinal barrier function. In this study, we aimed to determine whether systemic threonine was used for small intestinal MUC2 synthesis and to calculate the MUC2 fractional synthetic rate (FSR) in human preterm infants. Seven preterm infants with an enterostomy following bowel resection for necrotizing enterocolitis received intravenous infusion of [U-13C]threonine to determine incorporation of systemic threonine into secreted MUC2 in intestinal outflow fluid. Small intestinal MUC2 was isolated using cesium chloride gradient ultracentrifugation and gravity gel filtration chromatography. MUC2-containing fractions were identified by SDS-PAGE/periodic acid-Schiff staining and Western blot analysis and were subsequently pooled. Isotopic enrichment of threonine, measured in MUC2 using gas chromatography isotopic ratio mass spectrometry, was used to calculate the FSR of MUC2. Systemically derived threonine was indeed incorporated into small intestinal MUC2. Median FSR of small intestinal MUC2 was 67.2 (44.3–103.9)% per day. Systemic threonine is rapidly incorporated into MUC2 in the small intestine of preterm infants, and thereby MUC2 has a very high synthesis rate.

mucin 2; small intestine; threonine


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. B. van Goudoever, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Univ. Medical Ctr., Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of Neonatology, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ Rotterdam, the Netherlands (e-mail: j.vangoudoever{at}erasmusmc.nl)






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2009 by the American Physiological Society.