The use of protein hydrolysate improves the protein intestinal absorption in undernourished mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.
Patients residing in endemic areas for schistosomiasis in Brazil are usually undernourished and when they develop the hepatosplenic clinical form of the disease should usually receive hospital care, many of them being in need of nutritional rehabilitation before specific treatment can be undertaken. In the mouse model, investigations carried out in our laboratory detected a reduced aminoacid uptake in undernourished animals which is aggravated by a superimposed infection with Schistosoma mansoni. However, in well-nourished infected mice no dysfunction occurs. In this study, we tried to improve the absorptive intestinal performance of undernourished mice infected with S. mansoni by feeding them with hydrolysed casein instead of whole casein. The values obtained for the coefficient of protein intestinal absorption (cpia) among well-nourished mice were above 90% (either hydrolysed or whole protein). In undernourished infected mice, however, the cpia improved significantly after feeding them with hydrolysed casein, animals reaching values close to those obtained in well-nourished infected mice.
Coutinho
Eridan M
EM
Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Recife, PE, Brasil.
Ferreira
Haroldo S
HS
Assunção
Monica L
ML
Carvalho
Sandra L
SL
Oliveira
Sheilla A
SA
Francelino
Andréa A
AA
D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000378:metabolism*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000178:diet therapy*
D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates