Effects of prefeeding a prebiotic on diarrhea and colonic cell proliferation in piglets fed lactulose.
OBJECTIVE
Severe lactulose malabsorption causes osmotic diarrhea and decreased cecal cell proliferation. We tested the hypothesis that prefeeding with inulin, a prebiotic, would attenuate these effects.


METHODS
Piglets aged 10 days were randomized to 3 feeding groups (n = 6 each group): Control (CON), fed sow-milk replacement formula (SMR; lactose, 60 g/L) for 14 days; a lactulose-challenged group (LAC) that was fed SMR for 7 days and then a formula containing lactose (30 g/L) and lactulose (60 g/L) for 7 days; and a group prefed SMR containing inulin (3 g/L) for 7 days and then fed the lactulose-supplemented formula (INULIN). Groups CON and INULIN were pair-fed to LAC. Then, cecal tissue was collected for histology, determination of crypt cell proliferation index, apoptosis, and Western blot determination of expression of Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein.


RESULTS
The fraction of days when diarrhea was present (mean +/- SD) was greater for LAC (0.87 +/- 0.14; p = .004) than CON (0.28 +/- 0.22; INULIN: 0.52 +/- 0.44; p = .058 vs LAC). Cell proliferation index for the total crypt was less for LAC (0.12 +/- 0.04; p = .016) compared with CON (0.20 +/- 0.04; INULIN: 0.15 +/- 0.04; p = .06 vs LAC). BAX protein expression and apoptosis were similar in the 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed trends consistent with the hypothesis that prefeeding inulin attenuates diarrhea and the reduction in cell proliferation caused by lactulose.
Kien
C Lawrence
CL
Children's Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. clkien@utmb.edu
Chang
J C
JC
Cooper
James R
JR
Frankel
Wendy L
WL
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002432:Cecum / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D005526:Food, Formulated; D007444:Inulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007785:Lactose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007792:Lactulose / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013552:Swine; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D007792:Lactulose; D007444:Inulin; D007785:Lactose