Intestinal Ascending Colon Morphometrics in Rats Submitted to Severe Protein Malnutrition

Perinatal and post-weaning exposure to a high-fat diet causes histomorphometric, neuroplastic, and histopathological changes in the rat ileum

Exposure to a diet with a high saturated fat content can influence the characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract, causing losses in the absorption of nutrients and favoring the appearance of diseases. The objective was to assess the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) in the perinatal (pregnancy and lactation) and post-weaning period on the histomorphometry, neuroplasticity, and histopathology of the ileum. Wistar rats were divided into four subgroups: Control/Control (CC, n = 10) rats fed a control diet (C) throughout the trial period; Control/HFD (CH, n = 9) rats fed diet C (perinatal) and HFD after weaning; HFD/Control (HC, n = 10) rats fed HFD (perinatal) and diet C (post-weaning); HFD/HFD (HH, n = 9) rats fed HFD throughout the experimental period. There was atrophy of the Ileum wall with a reduction in the muscular tunic, submucosa, and mucosa thickness in the HH group of 37%, 28%, and 46%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The depth of the crypts decreased by 29% (p < 0.0001) and height increased by 5% (p < 0.0013). Villus height decreased by 41% and 18% in HH and HC groups (p < 0.0001) and width decreased by 11% in the HH (p < 0.0001). The height of the enterocytes decreased by 18% in the HH (p < 0.0001). There was a decrease in the area of the myenteric and submucosal plexus ganglia in the HH and HC groups (p < 0.0001). The number, occupation, and granules of Paneth cells increased in the HH and HC groups (p < 0.0001). Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) increased in all groups exposed to the HFD. Goblet cells decreased in groups CH and HH (p < 0.0001). The evidence from this study suggests that the HFD had altered the histomorphometry, neuroplasticity, and histopathology of the ileum of the rats.

Pneumatosis Intestinalis and Anorexia Nervosa

Background: Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), the presence of gas within the intestinal wall, is a condition historically associated with many diagnoses and can be life-threatening. The purpose of this article is to understand PI better in the setting of malnutrition secondary to anorexia nervosa (AN), a condition not historically affiliated with PI. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical findings of seven patients with AN are reported. Results: The patients were all found to have PI involving the right colon, with only a single patient also found to have PI involving additional colonic areas. No patients had small intestine involvement, and most of the patients were also diagnosed with the binge-purge subtype of AN, were receiving tube feeds, and had tenderness on abdominal examination. All seven patients were managed non-operatively. Conclusions: The authors propose that there may be an association between AN and PI. Given the surgical risks associated with malnutrition, the decision to pursue surgery, in the absence of the discussed pathologic risk factors, should be made in a very thoughtful manner. Future studies are warranted to better understand this potential association between PI and AN.

In Vivo Implications of Potential Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri LR6 on the Gut and Immunological Parameters as an Adjuvant Against Protein Energy Malnutrition

The present study investigated the impact of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri LR6 on the gut and systemic immunity using protein energy malnourished (PEM) murine model. Thirty male Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups: control (C), malnourished (M), probiotic fermented milk (PFM), skim milk (SM), and bacterial suspension (BS) with six mice per group. Group C was fed with conventional diet throughout the study while the other groups were fed with protein calorie restricted diet until the development of malnutrition. After development of malnutrition, group M was continued with the restricted diet while other groups were fed with re-nourished diet supplemented with PFM, SM, and BS for 1 week, respectively. Thereafter, mice were sacrificed and different histological, microbiological, and immunological parameters were studied. Probiotics feeding in PEM model as fermented product or bacterial suspension improved the intestinal health in terms of intact morphology of colonic crypts, normal goblet cells, and intact lamina propria with no inflammation in large intestine, absence of fibrosis, and no inflammation in spleen. The number of secretory IgA⁺ cells was significantly higher in group PFM and BS. Also, increase in the phagocytic percentage of the macrophages and bone marrow derived dendritic cells (DCs) were observed in the PFM and BS group in comparison to the group M. In comparison to the group M and SM, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and Firmicutes counts were significantly higher in the group PFM and BS. This study concludes that probiotic supplementation to re-nutrition diet could emerge as wonder therapeutics against PEM.

Tamarind Multifunctional Protein: Safety and Anti-Inflammatory Potential in Intestinal Mucosa and Adipose Tissue in a Preclinical Model of Diet-Induced Obesity

INTRODUCTION

Obesity has emerged as one of the main public health problems. This condition triggers a series of hormonal and metabolic changes related to a low-grade chronic inflammatory condition. The trypsin inhibitor purified from tamarind (TTIp) seeds is a promising anti-inflammatory molecule, but its safety needs to be evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate TTIp bioactive dose effects on organs involved in its metabolism (liver and pancreas) and affected tissues (small intestine and perirenal adipose tissue) in an obesity model.

METHODS

Three groups of adult male Wistar rats were used (n = 5). Two of these groups had diet-induced obesity, and a third group was eutrophic. TTIp was administered by gavage in one of the obese groups for 10 days, while the remaining groups received a vehicle. The chromatographic profile and the inhibition assay corroded the purification of the inhibitor. Physical and behavioral changes, liver enzymes, and stereological and histopathological analyses of tissues were evaluated.

RESULTS

TTIp did not cause visible signs of toxicity, nor caused changes in liver enzymes, the liver, and pancreatic tissues. TTIp did not cause changes in the intestinal mucosa, showing improvement in the villi's histopathological characteristics compared to the group of animals with obesity without treatment with TTIp (p = 0.004). The analysis of perirenal adipose tissue showed that the average sectional area of animals with obesity that received TTIp did not differ from the control. There was a difference between the high glycemic load diet group and the group treated with the inhibitor (351.8 ± 55.5) (p = 0.016). In addition, the group that received TTIp had no inflammatory infiltrates.

CONCLUSION

Based on histological and stereological analysis, the use of TTIp is potentially safe and anti-inflammatory in the evaluated obesity model and can be investigated as a possible adjuvant in obesity therapy.

Malnutrition increases NO production and induces changes in inflammatory and oxidative status in the distal colon of lactating rats

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies have indicated the lack of breast feeding as a risk factor associated with later development of inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, the repercussion of little feeding during suckling on large intestine inflammatory response and anti-oxidant resources has not yet been completely understood. This study hypothesized that unfavorable lactation is able to induce oxidative stress and release of inflammatory mediators modifying the integrity of the colon epithelium in weanling rats.

METHODS

Wistar rats were reared under different early nutritional conditions according to litter size in two groups: N6 (6 pups/dam) and N15 (15 pups/dam) until the 25th postnatal day. The distal colon was removed and processed for biochemical, morphometric, and immunohistochemical analyzes. Lipoperoxidation, nitric oxide (NO), reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins-1β, 4 and 10 (IL-1β; IL-4; IL-10) levels, and total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were assessed. Morphometric analysis was carried out using paraffin sections and wholemount myenteric plexus preparations.

KEY RESULTS

Increased lipoperoxidation, NO, TNF-α and IL-1b levels, reduced tSOD and increased CAT activities were found in the N15 compared to N6 group. No intergroup difference was detected for IL-10, while lower levels of IL-4, GSH and GSSG and lower neuronal size and density were induced by undernutrition.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Reduced feeding during suckling changed the inflammatory response and oxidative status in the colon of weanling rats. These data suggest potential mechanisms by which malnutrition early in life may increase the vulnerability of the large intestine to insults.

Food restriction beginning at lactation interferes with the cellular dynamics of the mucosa and colonic myenteric innervation in adult rats

The effects of food restriction (FR) on the morphoquantitative aspects of the wall and myenteric neurons of the proximal colon in adult rats were analysed. FR was imposed by duplication of the experimental brood size in relation to the control brood during lactation. The FR group received a 50% reduction of food from weaning until 90 days of age. Samples of the colon underwent histological processing to morphometrically analyze the crypts, muscularis mucosae, tunica mucosa, and muscularis externa. We determined the number of goblet cells and serotoninergic enteroendocrine cells, and morphoquantitatively studied the myenteric neuronal population. FR caused hypertrophy in the tunica mucosa, increase in crypt depth and in the muscular layer of the mucosa, a decrease in the thickness of the tunica muscularis and in the number of goblet cells and an increase in serotoninergic cells. A higher neuronal density in the ganglia and a reduction of the cell profile area were observed in the FR group. FR imposed since lactation led to hypertrophy of the tunica mucosa, a reduction of neutral mucin production, atrophy of the tunica muscularis, and an increase in the survival neuronal in adult rats, attributable to an increase in the number of serotoninergic enteroendocrine cells in mucosa.

Improvements of immune status, intestinal integrity and gain performance in the early-weaned calves parenterally supplemented with L-alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide

Glutamine (Gln) is an important substrate for the innate immune cells including lymphocytes and macrophages. In this report, the effects of alanyl-glutamine dipeptide (Ala-Gln) on the naïve immune system, intestinal integrity and gain performance of early-weaned calves were investigated. Early-weaned Chinese Holstein calves were intravenously administered different dosages of Ala-Gln. The effects of Ala-Gln administration were ascertained by evaluating the blood for naïve T lymphocyte subpopulations, the concentrations of serum IgG, serum IgA and intestinal mucosal secretory IgA (s-IgA), the intestinal integrity, as well as the gain performance. Results demonstrated that intravenous administration of Ala-Gln dipeptide (1.01 g/kg×d(-1)) for 7 days had a positive effect on gain performance, intestinal integrity and the immune system. Calves administered doses of Ala-Gln displayed an improvement in gain performance and health status concurrent with increases in blood CD2(+) and CD4(+) lymphocytes, the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+), serum IgA and IgG, intestinal mucosal s-IgA while decreasing the occurrence of diarrhea. Moreover, we found that animals given the effective dose (1.01 g/kg×d(-1)) of Ala-Gln resulted in improved immune status and intestinal integrity relative to those given a lower (0.49 g/kg×d(-1)) or higher dose (1.99 g/kg×d(-1)) of Ala-Gln. These findings suggest that maintaining a certain concentration of plasma and/or tissue glutamine in the early stages of weaning is an effective alternative approach for improvement of growth performance in early-wean calves.

Lactobacillus casei as a probiotic in malnourished Giardia lamblia-infected mice: a biochemical and histopathological study

The study describes the in vivo activity of Lactobacillus casei in malnourished Giardia lamblia-infected BALB/c mice. By experimentation, it was found that daily administration of the probiotic 7 days before inoculation with Giardia trophozoites in malnourished mice efficiently reduced both the severity and duration of giardiasis. More specifically, excretion of Giardia cysts and trophozoites counts were reduced, while faecal lactobacilli counts increased significantly in probiotic-fed malnourished mice, compared with control mice. Interestingly, it was also observed that oral feeding of the probiotic to malnourished mice abrogated all the anthropometric and biochemical anomalies. Histologically, morphological and cellular alteration of microvillus membrane integrity revealed that probiotic administration ameliorated the mucosal damage in malnourished, probiotic-inoculated, Giardia-infected mice compared with the severe microvillus atrophy, œdematous and vacuolated epithelial cells, and ileitis in malnourished Giardia-infected mice. The results clearly show the antigiardial effect of the probiotic in vivo by modulating the gut cells to inhibit the colonization and multiplication of Giardia trophozoites, thus reducing the severity and duration of murine giardiasis.