Impairment of amino-acid absorption in suckling rats infected with Cryptosporidium parvum.
In the present study. we explored the nutritional consequences of cryptosporidiosis. In order to ascertain the direct responsibility of C. parvum for impairment of staturoponderal development observed during the infection in neonatal animals, we investigated the absorption of two major components of the total amino acids in dam's milk (leucine and glutamate) across the ileal mucosa. The infection resulted in significant (47% and 34%, respectively) reductions in leucine and glutamate fluxes (P<0.01). Moreover, the leucine aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase activities were reduced in the infected ileal mucosa. Interestingly, the reduction in weight gain, which began at day 6 post-infection (PI), persisted until day 20 PI, although no cryptosporidia were detected in the ileal mucosa after day 12 PI. We thus provide evidence that the malabsorption of amino acids during cryptosporidiosis contributes to impairing the development of neonatal animals, with consequences that persist beyond eradication of the parasite.
Topouchian
A
A
Laboratoire de Biologie Animale et Parasitaire, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université Rene Descartes, Paris, France. atopouchian@yahoo.com
Kapel
N
N
Huneau
J F
JF
Barbot
L
L
Magne
D
D
Tomé
D
D
Gobert
J G
JG
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008871:Microvilli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase; D007930:Leucine