Dietary gangliosides enhance in vitro lipid uptake in weanling rats.
BACKGROUND
The intestine adapts morphologically or functionally in response to environmental stimuli. Dietary lipids modify brush border membrane (BBM) permeability and nutrient transporter activities. Gangliosides (GANG) are glycolipids in human milk that are present only in low amounts in infant formula. Exogenous GANG are incorporated into cell membranes and increase their permeability. The objective of this study was to determine whether feeding a GANG-enriched diet alters in vitro intestinal lipid absorption.


METHODS
Weanling rats were fed either (1) GANG-enriched diet; (2) diet enriched with polyunsaturated long-chain fatty acids; or (3) isocaloric control diet for 2 weeks, after which in vitro intestinal lipid uptake was measured.


RESULTS
Feeding GANG did not alter weight gain or intestinal morphology. Enhanced uptake of stearic acid (18:0) in the ileum and stearic and linoleic acid (18:2) in the jejunum was not associated with a change in the abundance of the ileal lipid binding protein (ILBP), the intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), or the liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP).


CONCLUSIONS
We speculate that the enhanced uptake of long-chain fatty acids in weanling rats fed GANG may be caused by a modification in physical properties of the BBM.
Birecki
Celina J
CJ
Nutrition and Metabolism Group, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Drozdowski
Laurie A
LA
Suh
Miyoung
M
Park
Eek Joong
EJ
Clandinin
M Tom
MT
Thomson
Alan B R
AB
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000502:physiology*; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014886:Weaning
D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005732:Gangliosides