scholarly journals The influence of the intestinal microflora on disaccharidase activities in the chick

1972 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Siddons ◽  
Marie E. Coates

1. Maltase sucrase, palatinase (the enzyme that hydrolyses palatinose, i.e. 6-o-α-D-gluco-pyranosyl-D-fructose) and lactase activities were measured in the small and large intestines of germ-free and conventional chicks given either a diet of purified ingredients or a practical chick mash.2. With the purified diet there were no differences in body-weight or small intestinal disaccharidase activities between germ-free and conventional chicks. With the chick mash the germ-free birds were heavier and had higher total amounts of maltase, sucrase and palatinase activities in the small intestine than did their conventional controls. When disaccharidase activities were expressed in terms of body-weight there were no differences between birds in the two environments. Enzyme activities were consistently higher in the birds given chick mash.3. Inclusion of milled fibre in the purified diet did not increase the weight or disaccharidase activities of the small intestine in either environment.4. Lactase was virtually absent from the small intestine of birds in both environments and from the large intestine of germ-free birds. There was appreciable lactase activity in the large intestinal contents of conventional chicks, and it was increased by inclusion of lactose in the diet.5. When lactose was the sole source of carbohydrate the birds grew poorly but mortality rate was less among conventional compared with germ-free chicks.6. It was concluded that the presence of micro-organisms has no direct effect on disaccharidase production in the small intestine of the chick. Microbial lactase is present in the large intestine, and at least some of the products of its action can be utilized by the bird.

2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. G368-G380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Einar Husebye ◽  
Per M. Hellström ◽  
Frank Sundler ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Tore Midtvedt

The effect of an intestinal microflora consisting of selected microbial species on myoelectric activity of small intestine was studied using germ-free rat models, with recording before and after specific intestinal colonization, in the unanesthetized state. Intestinal transit, neuropeptides in blood (RIA), and neuromessengers in the intestinal wall were determined. Clostridium tabificum vp 04 promoted regular spike burst activity, shown by a reduction of the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) period from 30.5 ± 3.9 min in the germ-free state to 21.2 ± 0.14 min ( P < 0.01). Lactobacillus acidophilus A10 and Bifidobacterium bifidum B11 reduced the MMC period from 27.9 ± 4.5 to 21.5 ± 2.1 min ( P < 0.02) and accelerated small intestinal transit ( P < 0.05). Micrococcus luteus showed an inhibitory effect, with an MMC period of 35.9 ± 9.3 min compared with 27.7 ± 6.3 min in germ-free rats ( P < 0.01). Inhibition was indicated also for Escherichia coli X7gnotobiotic rats. No consistent changes in slow wave frequency were observed. The concentration of neuropeptide Y in blood decreased after introduction of conventional intestinal microflora, suggesting reduced inhibitory control. Intestinal bacteria promote or suppress the initiation and aboral migration of the MMC depending on the species involved. Bacteria with primitive fermenting metabolism (anaerobes) emerge as important promoters of regular spike burst activity in small intestine.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Würsch ◽  
B. Koellreutter ◽  
F. Gétaz ◽  
M. J. Arnaud

The metabolism of maltitol (4-α-D-glucosylsorbitol) was assessed in fasting conventional (C) rats, C mice and germ-free (GF) mice, using [U-14C]maltitol. The radiorespirometric patterns of14CO2collected for 48 h after the administration of labelled maltitol were characterized by a constant rate of14CO2production lasting 4 h for both C rats and mice. The pattern for the GF mice showed a peak at the second hour followed immediately by a slow decrease. The percentage recovery of14CO2was significantly lower for the GF mice (59%) compared with C animals (72–74%). Urine, faeces and intestinal contents after 48 h totalled 19% of the administered radioactivity in the C rats and mice and 39% in the GF mice. The digestibility of maltitol and the absorption of sorbitol in GF mice was also assessed. The caecum and small intestine of GF mice, 3 h after administration of equimolar quantities of maltitol (140 mg/kg body-weight) or sorbitol (70 mg/kg body-weight), contained 39 and 51 % of the ingested dose respectively, present mostly in the caecum as sorbitol. The α-glucosidase (maltase) (EC3.2.1.20) activity of the small intestine was appreciably higher (1·5–1·7 times) in the GF mice than in the C mice. These results suggest that the enzymic activities in the small intestine of mice and rats are sufficient to hydrolyse maltitol extensively. Consequently, the slow absorption of sorbitol seems to be an important factor limiting the overall assimilation of maltitol in the small intestine.


1971 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Hecker

1. The object was toinvestigate the importance of urea a source of ammonia in the large intestine of herbivores. Urea was present in small intestinal contents of slaughtered horses in concentrations similar to those in blood but, in the small intestine of salughtered sheep, the urea was less than in blooc.2. There was little ammonia in small intestinal contents of slaughtered horses but consider-able ammonia was present in small intestinal contents of slaughtered sheep. The ammonia in small intestinal contents of the slaughtered sheep was probably formed from urea, as ileal con-tents taken from a sheep with an ileal cannula contained considerable urea and little ammonia.3. The ammonia concentration in caecal contents of sheep was related to the concentration of urea in blood except when ileal contents were prevented from entering the caecum.4. Ileal digesta of sheep contained more free amino nitrogen than did caecal digesta.5. Ammonia was absorbed more rapidly than water from the caecum of sheep. The rate of absorption was related to the concentration of ammonia in the caecum.


1969 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Siddons

1. Disaccharidase activities of the small and large intestines of the chick were studied. 2. Homogenates of the small intestine readily hydrolysed maltose, sucrose and palatinose (6-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-d-fructose), hydrolysed lactose slowly and did not hydrolyse trehalose and cellobiose. 3. Within the small intestine the disaccharidases were located mainly in the intestinal wall; the activity in the contents accounted for less than 5% of the total activity. 4. The disaccharidases were non-uniformly distributed along the small intestine, the activities being greatest in the middle section. 5. The disaccharidase activities increased with age between 1 and 43 days. 6. Homogenates of the large intestine and contents readily hydrolysed maltose, sucrose, palatinose and lactose and hydrolysed cellobiose and trehalose slowly. 7. The large-intestinal disaccharidases were located mainly in the contents. 8. Similar Km and pH optimum values were found for the maltase, sucrase and palatinase activities of the large and small intestines. 9. The lactase activity of the large intestine was markedly affected by diet and had different Km and pH values from the small intestinal lactase. 10. Low activities of intestinal disaccharidase were found in 12-day-old embryos and marked increases in the intestinal disaccharidases of the developing embryo occurred 2–3 days before hatching.


2003 ◽  
Vol 228 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping C. Lee ◽  
Mark Struve ◽  
Hershel Raff

Hypoxia in the neonate is known to alter the activity of hepatic and pancreatic enzymes involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of neonatal hypoxia on the activity of intestinal enzymes, and to determine whether the administration of glucocorticoids to neonates can mimic the effects of hypoxia. Hypoxia in neonatal rats (0–7 days) increased protein content, and lactase and maltase activity in the duodenal and the jejunal segments of the small intestine compared with normoxic controls. Hypoxia in juvenile rats (28–35 days) did not change these enzymes. Two weeks after returning hypoxic (0–7 days) pups to normoxia, their body weight remained lower than the age-matched controls. In the group recovering from hypoxia, sucrase, maltase, and leucine aminopeptidase activities were lower in the duodenal and the jejunal segment. Compared with controls, LDH activity was lower only in the jejunal intestine in the group recovering from hypoxia. All enzyme activities returned to control levels 3 weeks after recovery. Neonatal rats treated with dexamethasone had a decrease in body weight, but increases in sucrase and maltase activity in both the duodenal and the jejunal segment. Hypoxia in newborn rats caused a delayed maturation of small intestinal enzymes. Increases in serum glucocorticoids after hypoxic exposure probably do not play a major role in the delayed maturation of the disaccharidase activity in the small intestine.


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 10) ◽  
pp. 525-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Zitnan ◽  
J. Voigt ◽  
S. Kuhla ◽  
J. Wegner ◽  
A. Chudy ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to investigate rumen fermentation, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and morphology of ruminal und intestinal mucosa in two cattle breeds of different metabolic type. From each breed six purebred German Holstein (H) bulls representing the secretion type and six Charolais (CH) bulls representing the accretion type were raised and fattened under identical conditions with <I>semi ad libitum</I> feeding of a high energy diet. The animals were used for a digestion trial started at nine months of age and animals were slaughtered at 18 months of age. Body weight (668 vs. 764 kg, <I>P</I> = 0.011), body weight gain (1 223 vs. 1 385 g/day, <I>P</I> = 0.043), and body protein gain (93 vs. 128 g/day, <I>P</I> = 0.001) were lower in H compared to CH bulls. Protein expense per kg protein accretion was higher in H bulls (13.8 vs. 10.2, <I>P</I> = 0.001). No significant differences were found in concentration and pattern of ruminal short chain fatty acid and in apparent digestibility of organic matter, crude fibre, and N-free extracts. There were no significant differencs in all morphometric traits of rumen mucosa between both cattle breeds. Compared to H, the villi of CH bulls were higher in duodenum (586 vs. 495 &mu;m, <I>P</I> = 0.001) and proximal jejunum (598 vs. 518&mu;m, <I>P</I> < 0.001), the crypt were deeper in duodenum (295 vs. 358, <I>P</I>< 0.001) and proximal jejunum (292 vs. 344 &mu;m, <I>P</I> = 0.020). In contrast, the villi in ileum were higher in H (522 vs. 471 &mu;m, <I>P</I> = 0.006). The weight of total small intestine, as percentage of total body weight, was 1.1 in H and 0.8 in CH (<I>P</I> = 0.002). The utilization of food crude protein was positively related to the duodenal (<I>P</I> = 0.001) and proximal jejunal villus height (<I>P</I> = 0.003) and to the duodenal crypt depth (<I>P</I> < 0.001) and negatively related to weight of small intestine (<I>P</I> = 0.004). It is concluded, that the higher growth potential and feed efficiency in CH bulls compared to H bulls is not caused by differences in digestion processes, but in size of small intestine, and morphology of small intestinal mucosa. Obviously the duodenum and proximal jejunum of CH bulls adapt to increase the absorptive surface due to the increase in nutrient demand.


2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (1) ◽  
pp. G99-G108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Costa ◽  
Timothy James Hibberd ◽  
Lauren J. Keightley ◽  
Lukasz Wiklendt ◽  
John W. Arkwright ◽  
...  

Cyclical propagating waves of muscle contraction have been recorded in isolated small intestine or colon, referred to here as motor complexes (MCs). Small intestinal and colonic MCs are neurogenic, occur at similar frequencies, and propagate orally or aborally. Whether they can be coordinated between the different gut regions is unclear. Motor behavior of whole length mouse intestines, from duodenum to terminal rectum, was recorded by intraluminal multisensor catheter. Small intestinal MCs were recorded in 27/30 preparations, and colonic MCs were recorded in all preparations ( n = 30) with similar frequencies (0.54 ± 0.03 and 0.58 ± 0.02 counts/min, respectively). MCs propagated across the ileo-colonic junction in 10/30 preparations, forming “full intestine” MCs. The cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine increased the probability of a full intestine MC but had no significant effect on frequency, speed, or direction. Nitric oxide synthesis blockade by Nω-nitro-l-arginine, after physostigmine, increased MC frequency in small intestine only. Hyoscine-resistant MCs were recorded in the colon but not small intestine ( n = 5). All MCs were abolished by hexamethonium ( n = 18) or tetrodotoxin ( n = 2). The enteric neural mechanism required for motor complexes is present along the full length of both the small and large intestine. In some cases, colonic MCs can be initiated in the distal colon and propagate through the ileo-colonic junction, all the way to duodenum. In conclusion, the ileo-colonic junction provides functional neural continuity for propagating motor activity that originates in the small or large intestine. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Intraluminal manometric recordings revealed motor complexes can propagate antegradely or retrogradely across the ileo-colonic junction, spanning the entire small and large intestines. The fundamental enteric neural mechanism(s) underlying cyclic motor complexes exists throughout the length of the small and large intestine.


1980 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeon Sook Lee ◽  
T. Noguchi ◽  
H. Naito

1. Semi-synthetic diets containing 200 g protein/kg were meal-fed for 1.5 h to groups of rats. The contents of the whole small intestinal tract were collected and the amount of soluble calcium was determined.2. In the rats given 200 g casein/kg diet, formation of a fraction containing macrophosphopeptide in the small intestine was confirmed by gelfiltration of the intestinal contents on Sephadex G-25. However, this macrophosphopeptide fraction was not found when casein alone was fed.3. In the intestinal contents at 2.5 h after ingestion, the amounts of both soluble Ca and phosphorus were significantly higher in rats fed the casein diet than in those fed diets containing egg albumin, isolated soyabean protein or an amino acid mixture. However, the amount of insoluble Ca was least in rats fed the casein diet.


2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Huo ◽  
Conghui He ◽  
Ying Xu ◽  
Tianjun Jia ◽  
Jie Wang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The cryptic plasmid pCM is critical for chlamydial colonization in the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, orally inoculated plasmid-free Chlamydia sp. was still able to colonize the gut. Surprisingly, orally inoculated Chlamydia sp. deficient in only plasmid-encoded pGP3 was no longer able to colonize the gut. A comparison of live organism recoveries from individual gastrointestinal tissues revealed that pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. survived significantly better than plasmid-free Chlamydia sp. in small intestinal tissues. However, the small intestinal pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. failed to reach the large intestine, explaining the lack of live pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. in rectal swabs following an oral inoculation. Interestingly, pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. was able to colonize the colon following an intracolon inoculation, suggesting that pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. might be prevented from spreading from the small intestine to the large intestine. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that following an intrajejunal inoculation that bypasses the gastric barrier, pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. still failed to reach the large intestine, although similarly inoculated plasmid-free Chlamydia sp. was able to do so. Interestingly, when both types of organisms were intrajejunally coinoculated into the same mouse small intestine, plasmid-free Chlamydia sp. was no longer able to spread to the large intestine, suggesting that pGP3-deficient Chlamydia sp. might be able to activate an intestinal resistance for regulating Chlamydia sp. spreading. Thus, the current study has not only provided evidence for reconciling a previously identified conflicting phenotype but also revealed a potential intestinal resistance to chlamydial spreading. Efforts are under way to further define the mechanism of the putative intestinal resistance.


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