An elemental diet fed, enteral or parenteral, does not support growth in young pigs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
OBJECTIVE
Young individuals with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) show growth reduction that can be reversed by dietary pancreatic enzyme supplementation. Here we investigated whether feeding an elemental diet could replace the growth-promoting effect of enzyme supplementation in EPI pigs.


METHODS
Weaned pigs with intact pancreas (control) or pancreatic duct-ligated (EPI pigs) were given a commercial pig feed, a fat-enriched diet, or an elemental diet, intragastrically and intravenously, with or without porcine pancreatin (Creon) supplementation for 1 week.


RESULTS
Control pigs, irrespective of receiving pig feed or an elemental diet, increased their body weight by 13.4-20.1%, while EPI pigs showed negligible weight gain. Giving a fat-enriched diet did not improve growth of the EPI pigs. However, if the EPI pigs were supplemented with pancreatin in combination with fat-enriched feed or the elemental diet, i.v., their body weight increased by 16.6 %and 8.5%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Control pigs maintained normal growth, independently of the diet being given in polymeric or elemental form, while EPI pigs showed impaired growth when receiving the same diets without enzyme supplementation. Pancreatic juice and enzyme preparations, in addition to their digestive properties, also appear to affect nutrient assimilation and anabolism in young individuals.
Rengman
Sofia
S
Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Lund University, Helgonavägen 3B, Lund, Sweden. sofia.rengman@cob.lu.se
Fedkiv
Olexandr
O
Botermans
Jos
J
Svendsen
Jörgen
J
Weström
Björn
B
Pierzynowski
Stefan
S
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000601:surgery; D010194:Pancreatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D010194:Pancreatin