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Background: In India about 85% of pre-school children show evidence of mild-to-moderate malnutrition. Consequences of severe malnutrition and protein deficiency are well reported by workers but little information is available on milder forms., Methods: Mild-to-moderate protein energy malnourished (PEM) state was induced in 12 monkeys by providing 2.42 g protein and 55 kcal kg(-1) day(-1) while 12 controls were fed 4.84 g protein and 110 kcal kg(-1). After a 30-40% reduction in body weight as compared with their controls, the animals were killed and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were prepared from three parts of small intestine. Purified vesicles were assayed for gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGTP), glutathione (GSH) and U-(14)C-glycine uptake., Results: GGTP activity increased significantly while glutathione and uptake of glycine decreased significantly in all the three parts of small intestine. On nutritional rehabilitation of 9 weeks, the activity of GGTP, GSH and in vitro uptake of glycine amino acid recovered completely., Conclusion: The results of the present study indicates that even mild-to-moderate malnutrition should not be ignored during the development state., (Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Rotavirus (RV) is considered to be one of the major causes of acute episodic diarrhoea throughout the world. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of soybean trypsin inhibitor (TI) on brush-border enzymes during rotavirus infection in protein energy malnourished (PEM) infant mice. Animals were divided into 4 groups, namely controls, PEM, PEM+RV and PEM+RV+TI (n = 36 each). Group 1 and 2 animals were orally inoculated with 50 microl of normal saline each. Group 3 animals were orally inoculated with 50 microl of 100 ID50 dose of RV stock each. Group 4 animals were similarly inoculated with 0.6 mg TI/g body weight along with 50 microl of RV stock each. Animals were examined daily for diarrhoea and their body weight was recorded on alternate days postinoculation (dpi). Animals were killed by cervical dislocation after being given light chloroform anesthesia on 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 dpi. Small intestines were excised and homogenized in normal saline. Proteins, gammaglutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and disaccharidases were estimated in jejunum and ileum. Body weight was significantly reduced in PEM animals and with RV infection. Histologically, focal areas of vacuolar degeneration of lining epithelium were seen in RV-infected animals. Disaccharidases and other enzyme activities were decreased significantly in the PEM group compared to healthy controls and further depressed with RV infection in malnourished animals as compared to non-infected PEM. The enzyme activities were restored in animals receiving TI along with RV compared to the group receiving RV without TI. With the administration of soybean TI, the activities of disaccharidases, alkaline phosphatase, gammaglutamyl transpeptidase and intestinal architecture were restored showing a protective effect in PEM during RV infection.

Epidemiologic data suggest a close relationship between protein energy malnutrition (or protein energy malnourished) (PEM) and development of infectious diarrheal diseases. In the present studies, the impact of trypsin inhibitor (TI) on the gut following rotavirus (RV) infection was investigated in PEM young growing inbred balb/c mice. The animals were divided into four groups: (1) control; (2) PEM; (3) PEM+RV and (4) PEM+ RV+TI. Control and PEM animals were orally inoculated with normal saline, PEM+RV animals were given 50 microl RV (100ID50) and PEM+RV+TI animals were inoculated with 0.6 mg TI/g body weight + 50 micronl RV. The body weight of each animal was recorded. Six animals from each group were sacrificed on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 post inoculation by cervical dislocation. The intestines were removed, everted and homogenized in ice-cold saline. Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), glutathione (GSH) levels and L-leucine uptake were determined in the jejunum and ileum. Body weight was decreased in PEM and PEM+RV groups compared to the controls. LAP and leucine uptake levels were elevated in the PEM group but decreased in the PEM+RV group. GSH levels were decreased in the PEM+RV group. Enzyme activity, GSH and LAP uptake levels were restored in the PEM+RV+TI group. The study shows the protective role of soybean TI against RV infection in malnourished mice.