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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 293/6/R2179    most recent 00395.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sangild, P. T. Articles by Buddington, R. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sangild, P. T. Articles by Buddington, R. K.

APPETITE, OBESITY, DIGESTION, AND METABOLISM

Glucagon-like peptide 2 has limited efficacy to increase nutrient absorption in fetal and preterm pigs

¹Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark; ²Membrane Transport Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; ³Divisions of Animal Nutrition and Reproduction, University of Copenhagen, Fredriksberg C, Denmark; ⁴Department of Medical Physiology, Panum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark; and ⁵Department of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee

Submitted 7 June 2007 ; accepted in final form 19 September 2007

Exogenous glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) prevents intestinal atrophy and increases nutrient absorption in term newborn pigs receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). We tested the hypothesis that the immature intestine of fetuses and preterm neonates has a diminished nutrient absorption response to exogenous GLP-2. This was accomplished using catheterized fetal pigs infused for 6 days (87–91% of gestation) with GLP-2 (25 nmol·kg^–1·day^–1 iv; n = 7) or saline (n = 7), and cesarean-delivered preterm pigs (92% of gestation) that received TPN with GLP-2 (25 nmol·kg^–1·day^–1 iv; n = 8) or saline (n = 7) for 6 days after birth. Responses to GLP-2 were assessed by measuring intestinal dimensions, absorption of nutrients (glucose, leucine, lysine, proline) by intact tissues and brush border membrane vesicles, and abundance of sodium-glucose cotransporter mRNA. Infusion of GLP-2 increased circulating GLP-2 levels in fetuses, but did not increase intestinal mass or absorption of nutrients by intact tissues and brush border membrane vesicles, except for lysine. Administration of exogenous GLP-2 to preterm TPN-fed pigs similarly did not increase rates of nutrient absorption, yet nutrient absorption capacities of the entire small intestine tended to increase (+10–20%, P < 0.10) compared with TPN alone due to increased intestinal mass (+30%, P < 0.05). GLP-2 infusion did not increase sodium-glucose cotransporter-1 mRNA abundance in fetuses or postnatal preterm pigs. Hence, the efficacy of exogenous GLP-2 to improve nutrient absorption by the intestine of fetal and preterm pigs is limited compared with term pigs and more mature animals and humans.

premature; brush border; glucose; amino acid; transporter