A piglet with surgically induced exocrine pancreatic insufficiency as an animal model of newborns to study fat digestion.

The maldigestion and malabsorption of fat in infants fed milk formula results due to the minimal production of pancreatic lipase. Thus, to investigate lipid digestion and absorption and mimic the situation in newborns, a young porcine exocrine pancreatic insufficient (EPI) model was adapted and validated in the present study. A total of thirteen EPI pigs, aged 8 weeks old, were randomised into three groups and fed either a milk-based formula or a milk-based formula supplemented with either bacterial or fungal lipase. Digestion and absorption of fat was directly correlated with the addition of lipases as demonstrated by a 30% increase in the coefficient of fat absorption. In comparison to the control group, a 40 and 25% reduction in total fat content and 26 and 45% reduction in n-3 and n-6 fatty acid (FA) content in the stool was observed for lipases 1 and 2, respectively. Improved fat absorption was reflected in the blood levels of lipid parameters. During the experiment, only a very slight gain in body weight was observed in EPI piglets, which can be explained by the absence of pancreatic protease and amylase in the gastrointestinal tract. This is similar to newborn babies that have reduced physiological function of exocrine pancreas. In conclusion, we postulate that the EPI pig model fed with infant formula mimics the growth and lipid digestion and absorption in human neonates and can be used to elucidate further importance of fat and FA in the development and growth of newborns, as well as for testing novel formula compositions.

State of patients' knowledge about treatment and proceedings in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the research was to evaluate the level of patients' knowledge about type 2 diabetes, treatment and proceedings in the case of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 100 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes were included in the research, aged 40-90 years (64% and 36%), who lived in the countryside (54%) and in the city (46%), hospitalized in the internal and geriatric wards in provincial hospitals of the Podkarpacie Region in south-eastern Poland. The research method was a diagnostic survey conducted by use of a questionnaire that consisted of 31 both multiple choice and open questions. Among the respondents, 64% were women and 36% men. Among them, 18% were aged from 40-50, 20% aged from 51-60, 28% from 61-70, 24% from 71-80-years-old, and 10% of respondents were aged over 80. Among the examined, 12% were treated only by diet, 24% by insulin, 18% by insulin and diet. RESULTS: From among respondents cured by insulin, 52% of them administered their own injections, 36% had the injections administered by a family member, and 12% had the injections administered by a nurse. From among the patients, 70% knew the symptoms of hypo- and hyperglycaemia, 84% knew how to react in the case of hypoglycaemia, but only 56% knew how to react in the case of hyperglycaemia. From among respondents, 68% controlled the skin if the feet. CONCLUSIONS: Over a half of the respondents (70%) know the symptoms of diabetes and mentioned frequent urination (77%) and increased thirst (65%), but 30% had no knowledge of the symptoms of diabetes. The state of the patients' knowledge about different complications of the disease was in insufficient.