Contribution of villous atrophy to reduced intestinal maltase in infants with malnutrition.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr
; 30(5): 494-502, 2000 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10817278
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
It has been known for many years that small intestinal maltase activities are reduced in malnourished infants and in other patients with villous atrophy. The recent availability of human maltase-glucoamylase cDNA provides the opportunity to test the hypothesis that villous atrophy accounts for the reduced maltase enzyme activity in malnourished infants.METHODS:
Mucosal biopsy specimens obtained for clinical evaluation of malnourished infants with poor responses to refeeding were examined by quantitative methods for enzyme activity and mRNA levels.RESULTS:
Maltase activity and maltase-glucoamylase mRNA were reduced (approximately 45% of normal). When maltase-glucoamylase message was normalized to villin message, a structural protein expressed only in enterocytes, a preservation of maltase messages in surviving enterocytes was documented. The luminal glucose transporter-villin message was also preserved.CONCLUSIONS:
The loss of maltase-glucoamylase message paralleled the reduction in villin message and degree of villous atrophy. The reduced maltase-glucoamylase message also paralleled sucrase-isomaltase message, previously found to be decreased in proportion to villous atrophy of malnourished infants. The data directly demonstrate, for the first time, that the terminal steps of starch 1-4 starch digestion and sucrase-isomaltase 1-6 starch digestion are decreased in malnourished infants, secondary to villous atrophy. These data in prior and present reports suggest that mechanisms underlying the chronic villous atrophy of malnutrition should be a priority for investigations in malnourished infants with slower than expected weight gain during refeeding.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Alpha-Glucosidases
/
Intestines
/
Nutrition Disorders
Limits:
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr
Year:
2000
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States