Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Small intestinal and colonic changes induced by a chemically defined diet

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three groups of rats were fed, respectively, a chemically defined diet intragastrically (IG), an equivalent diet intravenously (IV) and solid food orally (CH) for 8 days, and their small intestines and colons compared. All received equal calories. The small intestine was divided into equal proximal (A), middle (B), and distal (C) segments for measurements. Mucosal weight per cm in segments A and B of IG were, respectively, 65 and 38% higher than in IV (P<0.01), but 27 and 33% lower than in CH (P<0.01). However, in the distal segment, C, mucosal weight in IG was similar to IV and CH was 79% higher (P<0.01). DNA and protein followed the same pattern. Segment A sucrase activities were similar in CH and IG and were much higher than in IV (P<0.01). Sucrase in IG dropped very rapidly distally so that it became much lower than in CH (P<0.05) and similar to IV. Mucosal weight, DNA, and protein in the colon were not significantly different in IG and IV, which were both signficantly lower than in CH (P<0.01). The results indicate that a chemically defined diet maintains intestinal mass well in the proximal small intestine, but the effect diminishes rapidly in a distal direction so that distal small intestine and colon become atrophied and similar to those in intravenous feeding.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Levine GM, Deren JJ, Steiger E, Zinno R: Role of oral intake in maintenance of gut mass and disaccharidase activity. Gastroenterology 67:975–982, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Johnson LR, Copeland EM, Dudrick SJ, Lichtenberger LM, Castro GH: Structural and hormonal alterations in the gastrointestinal tract of parenterally fed rats. Gastroenterology 68:1177–1183, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  3. Feldman EJ, Dowling RH, McNaughton J, Peters TJ: Effects of oral versus intravenous nutrition on intestinal adaptation after small bowel resection. Gastroenterology 70:712–719, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  4. Levine GM, Deren JJ, Yezdimir E: Small bowel resection: Oral intake is the stimulus for hyperplasia. Am J Dig Dis 21:441–445, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  5. Morin CL, Ling V, Van Caillie M: Role of oral intake on intestinal adaptation after small bowel resection in growing rats. Pediatr. Res 12:268–271, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  6. Buts JP, Morin CL, Ling V: Influence of dietary components on intestinal adaptation after small bowel resection in rats. Clin Invest Med 2:59–66, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  7. Janne P, Carpentier Y, Willems G: Colonic mucosal atrophy induced by a liquid elemental diet in rats. Am J Dig Dis 22:808–812, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  8. Russel RI: Progress report: Elemental diets. Gut 16:68–79, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bury KD: Elemental diets.In Total Parenteral Nutrition, JE Fischer (ed). Boston, Little Brown and Company, 1976, pp. 395–411

    Google Scholar 

  10. Young EA, Heuler N, Russel P, Weser E: Comparative nutritional analysis of chemically defined diets. Gastroenterology 69:1338–1345, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  11. Winitz M, Birnbaum SM, Sugimura T: Quantitative nutritional and in vivo metabolic studies with water-soluble chemically defined diets.In Amino Acids, Proteins and Cancer Biochemistry, JT Edsall, P Jesse (eds). New York, Academic Press, 1960, pp 9–29

    Google Scholar 

  12. Morgan A, Filler R, Moore FD: Surgical nutrition. Med Clin North Am 54:1367–1381, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  13. Morin CL, Ling V: Effect of pentagastrin on the rat small intestine after resection. Gastroenterology 75:224–229, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall R: Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275, 1951

    Google Scholar 

  15. Burton K: A study of the conditions and mechanisms of the dephenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem J 62:315–323, 1956

    Google Scholar 

  16. Giles KW, Myers A: An improved dephenylamine method for the estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Nature 206:93, 1965

    Google Scholar 

  17. Dahlqvist A: A method for assay of intestinal disaccharidases. Anal Biochem 7:18–25, 1964

    Google Scholar 

  18. Winer BJ: Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962, pp 101–102

    Google Scholar 

  19. Young EA, Cioletti LA, Weser E: The effect of defined formula diets on mucosal mass of the small bowel in the rat. Gastroenterology 74:1115, 1978 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Assad RT, Eastwood GL: Relation between villous height and epithelial renewal in rats on IV, oral liquid, or oral solid feeding. Gastroenterology 74:1004, 1978 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Deren JJ, Broitman SA, Zamcheck N: Effect of diet upon intestinal disaccharidases and disaccharide absorption. J Clin Invest 46:186–195, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  22. Spector MH, Levine GM, Deren JJ: Direct and indirect effects of dextrose and amino acids on gut mass. Gastroenterology 72:706–710, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  23. Stragand JJ, Hageman RF: Effect of lumenal contents on colonic cell replacement. Am J Physiol 2:E208-E211, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hughes CA, Bates T, Dowling RH: Cholecystokinin and secretin prevent the intestinal mucosal hypoplasia of total parenteral nutrition in the dog. Gastroenterology 75:34–41, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  25. Altmann GG: Influence of bile and pancreatic secretions on the size of the intestinal villi in the rat. Am J Anat 132:167–178, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  26. Weser E, Heller R, Tawil T: Stimulation of mucosal growth in the rat ileum by bile and pancreatic secretions after jejunal resection. Gastroenterology 73:524–529, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  27. Williamson RCN, Bauer FLR, Ross JS, Malt RA: Contribution on bile and of pancreatic juice to cell proliferation in ileal mucosa. Surgery 83:570–576, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  28. Geever EF, Seifter E, Levenson SM: Pancreatic pathology, chemically defined liquid diets and bacterial flora in the rat. J Exp Pathol 51:341–347, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  29. Nelson LM, Carmichael HA, Russel RI, Atherton ST: Use of an elemental diet (Vivonex) in the management of bile acid-induced diarrhea. Gut 18:792–794, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  30. Raicht RF, Deschner E, Salen G: Bile acids regulate intestinal cell turnover. Gastroenterology 68:979, 1975 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Roy CC, Laurendeau G, Doyon G, Chartrand L, Rivest MR: The effect of bile and of sodium taurocholate on the epithelial cell dynamics of the rat small intestine. Proc. Soc Exp Biol. Med 149:1000–1004, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  32. Toskes PP, Gianella RA, Jervis HR, Ront WR, Takenchi A: Small intestinal mucosal injury in the experimental blind loop syndrome. Light and electron-microscopic and histochemical studies. Gastroenterology 68:1193–1203, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  33. Horams GD, Bauer H, Sprinz H: Influence of the normal flora on mucosal morphology and cellular renewal in the ileum. Lab Invest 12:355–364, 1963

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche Pédiatrique et Départment de Pédiatrie, Service de Gastro-entérologie, Hôpital Sainte-Justine et Université de Montréal, 3175 Chemin Côte Ste-Catherine, H3T 1C5, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Claude L. Morin MD, MSc, Victor Ling MSc & Diane Bourassa

Authors
  1. Claude L. Morin MD, MSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Victor Ling MSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Diane Bourassa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was supported by Grant MA-3320 from the Medical Research Council of Canada, and by the Foundation Justine-Lacoste-Beaubien.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morin, C.L., Ling, V. & Bourassa, D. Small intestinal and colonic changes induced by a chemically defined diet. Digest Dis Sci 25, 123–128 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308310

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308310

Keywords

Search

Navigation