title: Effects of enteral arginine supplementation on the structural intestinal adaptation in a rat model of short bowel syndrome.
abstract: The nitric oxide precursor L-arginine (ARG) has been shown to influence intestinal morphology and intestinal absorptive function. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of enteral ARG supplementation on structural intestinal adaptation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis in a rat model of short bowel syndrome (SBS). Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three experimental groups: Sham rats underwent bowel transection, SBS rats underwent 75% small bowel resection, and SBS-ARG rats underwent bowel resection and were treated with ARG given in the drinking water (2%). Parameters of intestinal adaptation, enterocyte proliferation and enterocyte apoptosis were determined on day 14 following operation. We have demonstrated that SBS-ARG animals had a lower jejunal and ileal mucosal weight, jejunal mucosal DNA and protein, ileal mucosal protein, jejunal villus height, jejunal and ileal crypt depth, and enterocyte proliferation index and a greater enterocyte apoptosis compared to SBS untreated animals. We conclude that in a rat model of SBS enteral L-arginine inhibits structural intestinal adaptation. Possible mechanism for this effect may be decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Department of Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sukhotnik
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sabo
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Krausz
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Siplovich
authors.forename: Arnold G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Coran
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mogilner
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shiloni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012778:Short Bowel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D001120:Arginine