title: Prebiotics and oxidative stress in constipated rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Constipation can adversely affect children's health, with disorders of host immunity and enhanced oxidative stress. As nondigestible carbohydrates, prebiotics can affect the host with constipation; however, whether the prebiotics have effects on the content of intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and the contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in constipation has not been fully clarified.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, constipation was induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats by diphenoxylate, and the prebiotics dissolved in milk were used as an intervention. The indicators of intestinal peristalsis, including the time of passing black stool initially, the grains of black stool in 24 hours, and the advance rate of ponceau, were measured. The content of intestinal sIgA was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The contents of SOD and MDA in serum and intestinal tissue were analyzed by their detection kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The changes in intestinal peristalsis show obvious constipation. The content of intestinal sIgA decreases, the content of SOD decreases, but the content of MDA increases in constipated rats. Prebiotics can attenuate the constipation-caused abnormal indicators significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prebiotics can attenuate decreased intestinal immunity and enhanced oxidative stress, in addition to reduced intestinal peristalsis and of the constipated rats.
authors.affiliation: Hebei Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Department of Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003248:Constipation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004157:Diphenoxylate / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D056692:Prebiotics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D056692:Prebiotics; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D004157:Diphenoxylate; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase