scholarly journals Metabolism of maltitol by conventional rats and mice and germ-free mice, and comparative digestibility between maltitol and sorbitol in germ-free mice

1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Würsch ◽  
B. Koellreutter ◽  
F. Gétaz ◽  
M. J. Arnaud

The metabolism of maltitol (4-α-D-glucosylsorbitol) was assessed in fasting conventional (C) rats, C mice and germ-free (GF) mice, using [U-14C]maltitol. The radiorespirometric patterns of14CO2collected for 48 h after the administration of labelled maltitol were characterized by a constant rate of14CO2production lasting 4 h for both C rats and mice. The pattern for the GF mice showed a peak at the second hour followed immediately by a slow decrease. The percentage recovery of14CO2was significantly lower for the GF mice (59%) compared with C animals (72–74%). Urine, faeces and intestinal contents after 48 h totalled 19% of the administered radioactivity in the C rats and mice and 39% in the GF mice. The digestibility of maltitol and the absorption of sorbitol in GF mice was also assessed. The caecum and small intestine of GF mice, 3 h after administration of equimolar quantities of maltitol (140 mg/kg body-weight) or sorbitol (70 mg/kg body-weight), contained 39 and 51 % of the ingested dose respectively, present mostly in the caecum as sorbitol. The α-glucosidase (maltase) (EC3.2.1.20) activity of the small intestine was appreciably higher (1·5–1·7 times) in the GF mice than in the C mice. These results suggest that the enzymic activities in the small intestine of mice and rats are sufficient to hydrolyse maltitol extensively. Consequently, the slow absorption of sorbitol seems to be an important factor limiting the overall assimilation of maltitol in the small intestine.

1972 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Siddons ◽  
Marie E. Coates

1. Maltase sucrase, palatinase (the enzyme that hydrolyses palatinose, i.e. 6-o-α-D-gluco-pyranosyl-D-fructose) and lactase activities were measured in the small and large intestines of germ-free and conventional chicks given either a diet of purified ingredients or a practical chick mash.2. With the purified diet there were no differences in body-weight or small intestinal disaccharidase activities between germ-free and conventional chicks. With the chick mash the germ-free birds were heavier and had higher total amounts of maltase, sucrase and palatinase activities in the small intestine than did their conventional controls. When disaccharidase activities were expressed in terms of body-weight there were no differences between birds in the two environments. Enzyme activities were consistently higher in the birds given chick mash.3. Inclusion of milled fibre in the purified diet did not increase the weight or disaccharidase activities of the small intestine in either environment.4. Lactase was virtually absent from the small intestine of birds in both environments and from the large intestine of germ-free birds. There was appreciable lactase activity in the large intestinal contents of conventional chicks, and it was increased by inclusion of lactose in the diet.5. When lactose was the sole source of carbohydrate the birds grew poorly but mortality rate was less among conventional compared with germ-free chicks.6. It was concluded that the presence of micro-organisms has no direct effect on disaccharidase production in the small intestine of the chick. Microbial lactase is present in the large intestine, and at least some of the products of its action can be utilized by the bird.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. G368-G380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Einar Husebye ◽  
Per M. Hellström ◽  
Frank Sundler ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Tore Midtvedt

The effect of an intestinal microflora consisting of selected microbial species on myoelectric activity of small intestine was studied using germ-free rat models, with recording before and after specific intestinal colonization, in the unanesthetized state. Intestinal transit, neuropeptides in blood (RIA), and neuromessengers in the intestinal wall were determined. Clostridium tabificum vp 04 promoted regular spike burst activity, shown by a reduction of the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) period from 30.5 ± 3.9 min in the germ-free state to 21.2 ± 0.14 min ( P < 0.01). Lactobacillus acidophilus A10 and Bifidobacterium bifidum B11 reduced the MMC period from 27.9 ± 4.5 to 21.5 ± 2.1 min ( P < 0.02) and accelerated small intestinal transit ( P < 0.05). Micrococcus luteus showed an inhibitory effect, with an MMC period of 35.9 ± 9.3 min compared with 27.7 ± 6.3 min in germ-free rats ( P < 0.01). Inhibition was indicated also for Escherichia coli X7gnotobiotic rats. No consistent changes in slow wave frequency were observed. The concentration of neuropeptide Y in blood decreased after introduction of conventional intestinal microflora, suggesting reduced inhibitory control. Intestinal bacteria promote or suppress the initiation and aboral migration of the MMC depending on the species involved. Bacteria with primitive fermenting metabolism (anaerobes) emerge as important promoters of regular spike burst activity in small intestine.


Parasitology ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Long ◽  
B. J. Millard

SummaryEimeria grenieri was isolated from intensively reared guinea fowl in Britain. The oocysts had average dimensions of 21·09 × 15·48 μm and a small micropyle. Three generations of schizonts were found in the small intestine. The first mature schizonts were found in the upper intestine 30 h after inoculation. Second-generation schizonts were seen 48–80 h and third-generation schizonts were present 80–96 h after inoculation. These schizonts were found in the middle and lower small intestine. It was confirmed that gametogony of this species occurs only in the caeca. The pre-patent time was 112 h and the reproductive index from a dose of 6 × 102 oocysts was 8 × 104. Doses of between 1 × 104 and 1 × 106 caused severe depression of body weight gain. Immunity to re-infection developed rapidly. Sulphaquinoxaline at a dose of 0·04% in the drinking water given after inoculation was effective in reducing the pathogenic effects of the disease. Robenidine given in the food at a concentration of 16·5 ppm (50% of the recommended concentration for chickens) was effective in preventing disease caused by E. grenieri.The endogenous life-cycle of E. grenieri was completed in the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos.


1957 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. A. Vonk ◽  
L. W. McElroy ◽  
R. T. Berg

Four treatments, involving differences in method of feeding and interval between last feed and slaughter, were employed in a study of the effect of dietary chlortetracycline on protease, amylase, and cellulase activity in the intestinal and cecal contents of 16 pairs of weanling pigs. Most consistent results were obtained with six pairs which were limited pair-fed except for the final feeding during which feed was available ad libitum for a 4-hour period ending 18 hours before slaughter. The mean total activities of all three hydrolases in the contents of the small intestines and of the ceca of the antibiotic-fed animals of these six pairs were significantly greater than in those of the control animals. Expressed as activity per gram dry matter of intestinal contents, significantly higher values for protease and amylase, but not for cellulase, were observed in the pigs that had received chlortetracycline. When the combined results obtained from all 16 pairs of the experimental animals were analyzed, the results showed that on a basis of activity per gram dry matter of intestinal contents, ingested chlortetracycline was associated with significant increases in amylase and cellulase but not in protease activity. Protease, amylase, and cellulase activities per gram dry matter of cecal contents were higher for pigs fed the antibiotic than for their controls. The mean wet weight of the empty small intestine and the mean dry weight of the mucosa scraped from the anterior 3-meter section of the small intestine were lower for the chlortetracycline-fed animals, but the differences were not statistically significant.


Author(s):  
O. L. Orobchenko ◽  
M. Ye. Romanko ◽  
M. O. Yaroshenko ◽  
I. O. Gerilovych ◽  
N. A. Zhukova ◽  
...  

The experiments were performed on 58 males of nonlinear white rats 3–4 months old and weighing 180–200 g and 64 females of nonlinear white mice 2.5–3 months old and weighing 18–22 g. In the main experiment on rats, six experimental groups were formed, the animals of which were injected intragastrically with the drug ‘MEGASTOP for dogs’ (by absolute weight) in doses of 1,000.0, 2,000.0, 3,000.0, 4,000.0, 5,000.0, and 6,000.0 mg/kg body weight; in the main experiment on mice, seven experimental groups were formed, the animals of which were administered the drug in doses of 100.0, 500.0, 1,000.0, 1,500.0, 2,000.0, 2,500.0, and 3,000.0 mg/kg body weight. Control rats and mice were injected with 2.0 cm3 and 0.2 cm3 of polyethylene glycol-400, respectively. Clinical symptoms of poisoning with the drug ‘MEGASTOP for dogs’ of white rats (at doses of 2,000.0–6,000.0 mg/kg body weight) and mice (at doses of 1,000.0–3,000.0 mg/kg body weight) were refusals of food and water, loss of coordination, sitting in one place, a dose-dependent increase in depression with subsequent complete depression, lack of response to external stimuli and death on the first or fourth day after administration. During autopsy in rats and mice that died as a result of poisoning with the drug ‘MEGASTOP for dogs’, we recorded pallor of the mucous membranes of the mouth, trachea, pharynx, and esophagus; increase in heart volume, atrial blood supply; pulmonary hyperemia; uncoagulated blood; increase in liver volume, dark cherry color, flabby consistency; catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. According to the results of determining the parameters of acute toxicity of the drug ‘MEGASTOP for dogs’ in the case of a single intragastric injection, LD50 for male rats is 3,384.98 ± 444.94 mg/kg, and for female mice — 2,025.88 ± 279.46 mg/kg body weight, which allows to classify it to class IV by the toxicity — low-toxic substances (LD50 — 501–5,000 mg/kg) and by the degree of danger to class III— moderately dangerous substances (LD50 — 151–5,000 mg/kg)


2003 ◽  
Vol 228 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping C. Lee ◽  
Mark Struve ◽  
Hershel Raff

Hypoxia in the neonate is known to alter the activity of hepatic and pancreatic enzymes involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of neonatal hypoxia on the activity of intestinal enzymes, and to determine whether the administration of glucocorticoids to neonates can mimic the effects of hypoxia. Hypoxia in neonatal rats (0–7 days) increased protein content, and lactase and maltase activity in the duodenal and the jejunal segments of the small intestine compared with normoxic controls. Hypoxia in juvenile rats (28–35 days) did not change these enzymes. Two weeks after returning hypoxic (0–7 days) pups to normoxia, their body weight remained lower than the age-matched controls. In the group recovering from hypoxia, sucrase, maltase, and leucine aminopeptidase activities were lower in the duodenal and the jejunal segment. Compared with controls, LDH activity was lower only in the jejunal intestine in the group recovering from hypoxia. All enzyme activities returned to control levels 3 weeks after recovery. Neonatal rats treated with dexamethasone had a decrease in body weight, but increases in sucrase and maltase activity in both the duodenal and the jejunal segment. Hypoxia in newborn rats caused a delayed maturation of small intestinal enzymes. Increases in serum glucocorticoids after hypoxic exposure probably do not play a major role in the delayed maturation of the disaccharidase activity in the small intestine.


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. X. Huang ◽  
W. C. Sauer ◽  
M. Pickard ◽  
S. Li ◽  
R. T. Hardin

Studies were carried out to determine the effect of micronization on energy, starch and amino acid digestibilities in hulless barley. Six pigs (Canabrid × Camborough) were weaned at 21 d of age and fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum on days 23 or 24. The pigs were fed one of three diets with major constituents of hulless barley and soybean meal (HB + SBM), micronized hulless barley and soybean meal (MHB + SBM) and corn starch and soybean meal (C + SBM) according to a repeated Latin square design. The pigs were fed three times daily, equal amounts at 8-h intervals. The diets were supplied at a rate of 5% (wt/wt) of body weight. The average body weight of the pigs was 9.3 kg at start and 15.9 kg at the conclusion of the experiment at 58 d of age. Faeces were collected for 48 h on days 6 and 7 and ileal digesta for 24 h on days 8 and 9. Chromic oxide was used as digestibility marker. The apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities in HB and MHB were determined by the difference method. The apparent ileal digestibilities of the indispensable amino acids were higher in MHB than in HB and ranged from 5.3 to 10.0 percentage units. Of the indispensable amino acids, the differences were significant (P < 0.05) for arginine, histidine, isoleucine, phenylalanine and valine. Micronization of HB improved (P < 0.05) the ileal digestibility of starch from 79.0 to 97.3%. Micronization resulted in an increase in the digestion of energy in the small intestine and a decrease in microbial fermentation of energy in the large intestine. This shift in the disappearance of energy from the large to the small intestine should also result in an improvement in the efficiency of energy utilization. These studies show a positive effect of micronization on the digestibilities of energy and amino acids in young pigs fed HB. Key words: Micronization, barley, digestibility, pigs


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