title: Effects of arginine on intestinal epithelial cell integrity and nutrient uptake.
abstract: Arginine is a multifaceted amino acid that is critical to the normal physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Oral arginine administration has been shown to improve mucosal recovery following intestinal injury. The present study investigated the influence of extracellular arginine concentrations on epithelial cell barrier regulation and nutrition uptake by porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). The results show that reducing arginine concentration from 0·7 to 0·2 mm did not affect the transepithelial electrical resistance value, tight-junction proteins (claudin-1, occludin, E-cadherin), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) and mucin-1 expression. Furthermore, reducing arginine concentration stimulated greater expression of cationic amino acid transporter (CAT1), excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT3) and alanine/serine/cysteine transporter (ASCT1) mRNA by IPEC-J2 cells, which was verified by elevated efficiency of amino acid uptake. Glucose consumption by IPEC-J2 cells treated with 0·2 mm-arginine remained at the same physiological level to guarantee energy supply and to maintain the cell barrier. This experiment implied that reducing arginine concentration is feasible in IPEC-J2 cells guaranteed by nutrient uptake and cell barrier function.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary College,Nanjing Agricultural University,Weigang 1,Nanjing,Jiangsu 210095,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Veterinary College,Nanjing Agricultural University,Weigang 1,Nanjing,Jiangsu 210095,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Veterinary College,Nanjing Agricultural University,Weigang 1,Nanjing,Jiangsu 210095,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qihang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Veterinary College,Nanjing Agricultural University,Weigang 1,Nanjing,Jiangsu 210095,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords:  ASCT1 alanine/serine/cysteine transporter;  CAT1 cationic amino acid transporter;  EAAT3 excitatory amino acid transporter;  GLUT2 glucose transporter type 2;  IPEC-J2 small intestinal epithelial cell line;  SGLT1 sodium/glucose cotransporter 1;  Slc solute carrier;  TEER transepithelial electrical resistance;  TJ tight junction;  p-ERK phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases; Arginine; Intestinal epithelium; Mucosal barrier; Nutrient absorption