Interactions Between Nutrients and Peptide Growth Factors in Intestinal Growth, Repair, and Function

Several lines of evidence demonstrate that general nutritional status, specific nutrients (eg, zinc, glutamine), and certain trophic growth factors (eg, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, keratinocyte growth factor, and glucagon-like peptide-2) have important interactions relevant for intestinal growth and function. Adequate nutritional status is critical for endogenous growth factor synthesis in the gut and other tissues and is an important mediator of organ responsiveness to exogenous growth factor administration. Both endogenously synthesized and exogenously administered growth factors upregulate nutrient uptake and utilization by gut mucosa, skeletal muscle, and other organs. Emerging data from both animal and human studies indicate that combinations of selected growth factors and specific nutrients may improve the growth, adaptation, and repair of the intestinal mucosa. Additional studies to determine basic mechanisms of nutrient-growth factor interactions and the safety and efficacy of treatment with combinations of specific nutrients and recombinant growth factors are needed. Results of these investigations should define new methods for support of the intestinal tract during short bowel syndrome (SBS), catabolic illness, and malnutrition.