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Refeeding enhances intestinal repair during an acute enteritis in infant rabbits subjected to protein-energy malnutrition.
- Source :
-
Pediatric research [Pediatr Res] 1991 Jun; Vol. 29 (6), pp. 594-600. - Publication Year :
- 1991
-
Abstract
- We examined the effects of refeeding during an acute bacterial enteritis on small intestinal repair in infant rabbits subjected to protein-energy malnutrition and in noninfected and infected dietary controls. Malnutrition was induced by litter expansion at 7 d of age. Randomly selected litters from both dietary groups were infected on d 17 with Yersinia enterocolotica. Inflammation and intestinal damage were observed in the jejunum and ileum at the "acute stage" of infection in 23-d-old animals from both dietary groups, as evidenced by an inflammatory infiltrate, blunted villi, and reduced disaccharidase activities. In addition, ileal glucose-stimulated Na+ absorption was depressed. On d 24, a 7-d period of ad libitum refeeding of breast milk and rabbit feed was initiated in randomly selected litters of infected-malnourished animals and all dietary controls. Mucosal repair was nearly complete at 31 d of age in infected dietary controls and in the infected-malnourished animals that were refed, as demonstrated by the recovery of segmental mucosal mass and ileal glucose-stimulated Na+ transport in association with the resolution of inflammation and diarrhea. Only mucosal disaccharidase activities remain depressed. In contrast, in 31-d-old infected-malnourished animals subjected to ongoing nutrient deprivation, severe intestinal damage persisted as evidenced by increased mortality, ongoing intestinal inflammation, mucosal hypoplasia, depressed disaccharidase activities, and reduced glucose-stimulated Na+ transport. We conclude that a refeeding regimen introduced during an acute bacterial enteritis is well tolerated and promotes recovery of intestinal mass, structure, and function in malnourished infant rabbits and dietary controls.
- Subjects :
- Animals
DNA metabolism
Enteritis diet therapy
Enteritis physiopathology
Intestinal Absorption physiology
Intestinal Mucosa pathology
Intestinal Mucosa physiopathology
Intestine, Small injuries
Intestine, Small pathology
Intestine, Small physiopathology
Proteins metabolism
Rabbits
Enteritis complications
Protein-Energy Malnutrition complications
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0031-3998
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Pediatric research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 1907731
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199106010-00014