Ingestion of water-soluble soybean fiber improves gastrectomy-induced calcium malabsorption and osteopenia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Total gastrectomy produces calcium malabsorption and osteopenia. We examined the effects of feeding water-soluble soybean fiber (WSSF), a highly fermentable dietary fiber with low viscosity, on calcium absorption and bone characteristics in totally gastrectomized rats.


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to two groups: sham operation and gastrectomy. After the postoperative recovery period, rats of each group were fed diets with or without WSSF (50 g/kg diet) for 4 wk.


RESULTS
Net calcium absorption and femoral dry weight and calcium content and maximum breaking force were lower in the gastrectomy groups than in the sham groups. In the gastrectomy groups, calcium absorption and these femoral parameters were higher in rats fed the WSSF diet than in rats fed the WSSF-free diet. Feeding WSSF increased the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids and soluble calcium and decreased the pH in cecal contents. Net calcium absorption in gastrectomized rats correlated positively with the concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (the sum of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids) in cecal contents (r = 0.545, P < 0.05) and negatively with cecal pH (r = -0.628, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that ingestion of WSSF partly prevents the diminished calcium absorption after total gastrectomy in rats, resulting in the improvement of postgastrectomy osteopenia. The increase of calcium absorption may be associated with cecal fermentation of WSSF.
Shiga
Kazuki
K
Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan.
Hara
Hiroshi
H
Takahashi
Taro
T
Aoyama
Yoritaka
Y
Furuta
Hitoshi
H
Maeda
Hirokazu
H
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D020148:Butyric Acid / Q000032:analysis; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002432:Cecum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011422:Propionates / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012995:Solubility; D013025:Glycine max; D014867:Water
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D011422:Propionates; D014867:Water; D020148:Butyric Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; C029658:propionic acid; D019342:Acetic Acid; D002118:Calcium