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The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of low-molecular-weight chitosan (LMWC) on the growth performance, immune responses and intestinal health of weaned pigs challenged by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). A total of 32 weaned pigs were randomly allocated to four treatments: non-challenged (fed with basal diet), ETEC-challenged (fed with basal diet) and ETEC-challenged plus 50 or 100 mg/kg LMWC supplementation, respectively. After 11 days feeding, the non-challenged pigs were infused with sterilised Luria-Bertani culture, while the remaining pigs were infused with 2.6 × 10 11 colony-forming units of ETEC. At 3 days post-challenge, all pigs were administered d-xylose at 0.1 g/kg body weight. One hour later, blood samples were obtained, and the pigs then euthanised to collect intestinal samples. Data showed that only 100 mg/kg LMWC supplementation attenuated (P < 0.05) the average daily gain reduction caused by ETEC. Furthermore, besides the decreased (P < 0.05) serum tumour necrosis factor-α and immunoglobulin (Ig) G concentrations detected in ETEC-challenged pigs supplemented with LMWC at 50 or 100 mg/kg, the higher dose (100 mg/kg) also decreased (P < 0.05) the serum IgM concentration and increased (P < 0.05) the villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in both the jejunum and ileum, and the sucrase activity in the ileal mucosa. Moreover, LMWC supplementation (50 or 100 mg/kg) in ETEC-challenged pigs elevated (P < 0.05) the mRNA levels of jejunal mucosal peptide transporter 1 and ileal mucosal peptide transporter 1, divalent metal transporter 1 and zinc transporter 1, and decreased (P < 0.05) the ileal and caecal E. coli abundances, while 100 mg/kg LMWC additionally elevated (P < 0.05) the ileal Bacillus abundance, and caecal and colonic Bifidobacterium abundances. These results suggest that LMWC helps alleviate ETEC-induced growth retardation in weaned pigs, which could be associated with the inhibition of the immune responses and improved intestinal health., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The mechanism of the developmental downregulation of the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) gene underlying adult-type hypolactasia is unknown. We have determined the functional significance of the recently identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), C/T(-13910) and G/A(-22018), associated with adult-type hypolactasia by studying LPH mRNA levels in intestinal biopsy samples with different genotypes., Methods: Intestinal biopsy samples were taken from 52 patients with abdominal complaints. Hypolactasia was diagnosed by determining lactase and sucrase activities and calculating their ratio (L/S ratio). The functional effect of the C/T(-13910) and G/A(-22018) genotype on expression of LPH mRNA was demonstrated in patients heterozygous for the C/T(-13910) and G/A(-22018) polymorphism and an informative expressed SNP located in the coding region of the LPH mRNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction followed by solid phase minisequencing was used for accessing the relative expression levels of the LPH alleles using informative SNPs located in exons 1, 2, 6, 10, 13, or 17 as markers., Results: Statistically significant differences between the three different genotypes CC(-13910) GG(-22018), CT(-13910) GA(-22018), and TT(-13910) AA(-22018) and their respective L/S ratios were observed. Relative quantitation of the expressed LPH alleles showed that the persistent allele represented 92 (6)% (mean (SEM), range 78-99%; n=14) of the expressed LPH mRNA. The patient with the homozygous persistent TT(-13910) AA(-22018), as well as hypolactasic patients with CC(-13910) GG(-22018), showed equal expression of both alleles (47 (1)%; n=7)., Conclusions: Expression of LPH mRNA in the intestinal mucosa in individuals with T(-13910) A(-22018) alleles is several times higher than that found in individuals with C(-13910), G(-22018) alleles. These findings suggest that the two SNPs, C/T(-13910) and G/A(-22018), associated with adult-type hypolactasia, are associated with the transcriptional regulation of the LPH gene. The presence of the T(-13910) A(-22018) allele also shows significant elevation of the L/S ratio.

We studied the effects of L-carnitine treatment in the acyl flux of erythrocyte membranes from uremic patients. We found a significantly lower relative proportion of long-chain acyl-CoA (LCCoA) to free CoA (FCoA) in patients than in control subjects. In addition, patients had reduced activities of both carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) and glycerophospholipid acyltransferase (LAT; CoA dependent), and increased ratios of long-chain acylcarnitine (LCAC) to free carnitine in their erythrocytes. These data support the hypothesis that acyl-trafficking is altered in erythrocytes in uremia. After treatment with L-carnitine, we observed a significant increase in CPT and LAT activities as well as in the LCCoA-FCoA ratio, and a significant decrease in the ratio of LCAC to free carnitine. These results support the conclusion that L-carnitine supplementation improves erythrocyte flux in uremic patients.

A new method for the assay of maltase and sucrase is reported. The method makes use of mutarotase, hexokinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase as ancillary enzymes. The reaction is linear at least up to a delta E/min of 0.13.

The activities of lactase, sucrase, maltase and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) were determined in homogenates of rat jejunal mucosa 24 h after acute administrations of D-galactosamine (GALN) (1.855 mmol/kg; i.p. injection) and alpha-naphthyl-isocyanate (ANIT) (0.540 mmol/kg; given by gastric tube). The animals were fasted either 24 h or 72 h prior to sacrifice. In rats fasted only 24 h, GALN treatment resulted in a pronounced decrease in lactase and in a moderate elevation of sucrase and maltase. ANIT clearly reduced lactase and, to a lesser extent, sucrase, while it increased maltase. Seventy-two hour fasting has a modifying role. All disaccharidase activities tended to decrease, except for maltase in the ANIT treated group, where an increase was recorded. gamma-GT showed no significant changes after either GALN or ANIT treatment in rats fasted 24 h. However, the 72-hour food deprivation diminished it in ANIT intoxication. It is obvious that the intestinal enzymes are influenced by the hepatic damage produced by GALN and ANIT.

On the basis of comparative determinations of the activities of dipeptidases and disaccharidases of the mucous membrane of the small intestine (proximal jejunum) clear correspondences between the morphological findings and the biochemical parameters were the result. L-alanyl-L-prolin-dipeptidase and glycyl-L-valin-dipeptidase as well as lactase, saccharase, maltase and trehalase were determined in altogether 45 children with various malabsorption syndromes of different age in different stages of disease. Diminutions of the activity of the dipeptidases were to be proved analogously to maltase, saccharase and lactase, too, in most cases of subtotal or total villous atrophy. From the results conclusions may be derived to the restricted ability of protein absorption in chronic disease of the small intestine.

Yeast beta-fructofuranosidase (invertase) or (131)I-labelled albumin were entrapped into liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and phosphatidic acid. Of the beta-fructofuranosidase activity in the liposomal preparations 96-100% was latent. The following observations were made in experiments with rats injected with protein-containing liposomes. 1. After injection of beta-fructofuranosidase-containing liposomes (220 units or 1.5mg of beta-fructofuranosidase and 17.5mg of lipid), beta-fructofuranosidase activity in blood retained its latency but the activity declined to 50% of the injected dose in 1h. Within 6h much of this activity was recovered in the liver and spleen (respectively 45% and 10% of that injected). For up to 21h after injection, the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction was the principal location of the hepatic beta-fructofuranosidase activity. 2. Lysosomal localization of liposomal protein was supported by the observed increase in the trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactivity during incubation of the lysosome-rich fraction of the liver of rats injected with liposomes containing (131)I-labelled albumin. 3. Association of liposomal protein with lysosomes was demonstrated on subfractionation of the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction of the liver of rats injected with beta-fructofuranosidase-containing liposomes in a Ficoll-mannitol gradient. beta-Fructofuranosidase, lysosomal and mitochondrial enzyme marker activities were found to exhibit similar distribution patterns along the gradient. However, in similar experiments with rats previously injected with Triton WR-1339 or dextran (known to alter the specific gravity of lysosomes), only beta-fructofuranosidase and lysosomal marker moved along the gradient, in strikingly similar patterns. 4. The lysosomal localization of injected liposome-entrapped material can probably be utilized in the treatment of certain disorders in man.