title: Prebiotic oligosaccharides and the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts in rats.
abstract: Human milk contains prebiotic oligosaccharides, which stimulate the growth of intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. It is unclear whether the prebiotic capacity of human milk contributes to the larger bile salt pool size and the more efficient fat absorption in infants fed human milk compared with formula. We determined the effect of prebiotic oligosaccharides on bile salt metabolism in rats. Rats were fed a control diet or an isocaloric diet containing a mixture of galactooligosaccharides (GOS), long-chain fructooligosaccharides (lcFOS), and acidified oligosaccharides (AOS) for 3 wk. We determined synthesis rate, pool size, and fractional turnover rate (FTR) of the primary bile salt cholate by using stable isotope dilution methodology. We quantified bile flow and biliary bile salt secretion rates through bile cannulation. Prebiotic intervention resulted in significant changes in fecal and colonic flora: the proportion of lactobacilli increased 344% (P < 0.01) in colon content and 139% (P < 0.01) in feces compared with the control group. The number of bifidobacteria also increased 366% (P < 0.01) in colon content and 282% in feces after the prebiotic treatment. Furthermore, pH in both colon and feces decreased significantly with 1.0 and 0.5 pH point, respectively. However, despite this alteration of intestinal bacterial flora, no significant effect on relevant parameters of bile salt metabolism and cholate kinetics was found. The present data in rats do not support the hypothesis that prebiotics naturally present in human milk contribute to a larger bile salt pool size or altered bile salt pool kinetics.
authors: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Hester
authors: H
authors: van Meer
authors: Gunther
authors: G
authors: Boehm
authors: Frans
authors: F
authors: Stellaard
authors: Aldwin
authors: A
authors: Vriesema
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Knol
authors: Rick
authors: R
authors: Havinga
authors: Pieter J
authors: PJ
authors: Sauer
authors: Henkjan J
authors: HJ
authors: Verkade
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004764:Enterohepatic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002793:Cholic Acids; D009844:Oligosaccharides