Comparison of net protein utilization of milk protein mild enzymatic hydrolysates and free amino acid mixtures with a close pattern in the rat.

The nutritive value of two nitrogen-containing mixtures, one formed from small peptides (milk protein mild enzymatic hydrolysates) and the other consisting of a mixture of free amino acids having the same pattern except for glutamine, was measured in rats with and without experimental liver and exogenous pancreas dysfunction. For this purpose, 30 animals (group N) were fitted with an indwelling duodenal catheter; 36 animals (group L) also underwent ligation and resection of the biliopancreatic duct. After a 3-day recovery period, the animals in each group, divided into three equivalent batches, were given, for 10 days, a protein-free diet ad libitum and a twice-daily duodenal infusion (5 mL) of either saline, the small peptides, or the free amino acid mixture. The nitrogen-containing mixtures provided 0.32 g of nitrogen per day. A blood sample (left side of the heart) was collected 1 hour before (five to six animals per batch) and after (five to six animals per batch) the last infusion for determination of glucose, insulin, and amino acids. After the animals were killed, their carcasses were freeze-dried, ground, and analyzed for nitrogen content. Under these conditions, the net protein utilization (the gain in body nitrogen in the animals infused with one of the two nitrogen-containing solutions in comparison with the animals infused with saline only divided by the nitrogen ingested) was calculated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mathematical modeling of digestion and nutrient absorption in pigs.

A simple simulation model of digestion and absorption in pigs was developed. The structure of the model is a set of four anatomical compartments for DM: stomach, two portions of small intestine, and the large intestine. In each of these anatomical compartments, subcompartments correspond to the major biochemical components of feed and their products of degradation. The major degradation and absorption events are considered as well as the effect of microbial activity in the large intestine. The total number of compartments is 44. The numerical integration with a time step of 1 min allows prediction of kinetic features of digestion phenomena such as absorption patterns and transit flows. First validation of the model shows that the global dynamic behavior of the model is realistic and promising. However, some additional factors must be considered for improved accuracy, in particular the susceptibility of the feed components to enzymatic degradation. The outputs of such a model could be used as inputs for metabolic or growth models running with time steps smaller than the 24-h basis often used in nutrition.

Influence of meal frequency on postprandial variations in the production and absorption of volatile fatty acids in the digestive tract of conscious pigs.

Five Large White pigs of 62.2 +/- 1.4 kg mean body weight were fitted with permanent catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery and with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein to study the absorption of volatile fatty acids (VFA) by measuring the concentration of these metabolites in hourly blood samples, and by determining the portal blood flow rate for a period of 12 h after intake of a single 800-g meal (6% crude fiber) preceded by 12 or 24 h of fasting. The portal concentration of VFA mixture always highly exceeded the arterial concentration. The arterial concentrations of propionic, butyric, valeric and isovaleric acids were nearly null, accounting for an almost complete uptake of these VFA by the liver. Acetic acid also was taken up, but to a lesser extent. Total VFA absorption during 12 h was 64% higher (P less than .05) after 12 h (1,160 +/- 100 mmol/12 h) than after 24 h of preprandial fasting (740 +/- 83 mmol/12 h). It increased after the meal (P less than .05) from 82.3 +/- 7.8 mmol/h between the first and fourth hour to 107.8 +/- 7.5 mmol/h between the fifth and tenth hour when the preprandial fasting lasted 12 h; a nonsignificant increase also was found when fasting prior to the meal lasted 24 h. The composition of the VFA mixture was not modified by the length of preprandial fasting. With this type of diet there was a large predominance of acetic acid (52%) followed by propionic and butyric acids (36 and 8.5%, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of diet composition on intestinal volatile fatty acid and nutrient absorption in unanesthetized pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of the amount and nature of fiber and carbohydrates on nutrient and VFA absorption. Five Large White pigs in each crossover experiment were accustomed to a semisynthetic 14% protein diet containing 6 (LC) or 16% (HC) pure cellulose (Exp. 1) or 22% alfalfa meal (6.3% cellulose, HA) and 22% lactose and 6% pure cellulose (HL; Exp. 2). Each animal was then fitted with catheters in the portal vein and carotid artery and with a flow probe around the portal vein. Eight days after surgery, the absorption of reducing sugars (RS) and amino-N was studied for 12 h and that of VFA for 24 h after intake of a single 800-g meal. The alternate diet was then given for 7 to 10 d and a second series of samplings was performed within the same conditions. In the first experiment, added dietary cellulose decreased efficiency of absorption of RS (LC: 90.4 +/- 7.0%; HC: 81.6 +/- 3.6%) and amino-N (LC: 95.3 +/- 9.1%; HC: 70.3 +/- 2.8%; P less than .05). Daily absorption (24 h) of VFA tended to be larger when the cellulose level rose (LC: 1,184 +/- 85 mmol; HC: 1,429 +/- 216 mmol, NS) and increased (P less than .05) with the length of adaptation (21 to 28 d) to the diet, regardless of cellulose level. In the second experiment, after intake of the alfalfa diet, absorption of RS was high (97.8%), whereas absorption of amino-N (74.3%) and VFA (880 +/- 87 mmol/24 h) were low. Intake of lactose reduced absorption of RS (85.2%), did not alter absorption of N (75.9%) and increased absorption of VFA (1,181 +/- 218 mmol/24 h). Thus, the energy efficiency of the diet was lowered (P less than .05) when cellulose was added to the diet but not when alfalfa meal or lactose were added.

Absorption balances and kinetics of nutrients and bacterial metabolites in conscious pigs after intake of maltose- or maltitol-rich diets.

Because sorbitol is poorly absorbed in the small intestine, it may be the origin of large amounts of residues reaching the large intestine and may be substrate for microbial activity. An experiment was conducted to study the quantitative appearance in the portal blood of nutrients and metabolites derived from enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation in the fore- and hindgut. Five Large White, castrated male pigs (mean BW of 61.2 +/- 1.7 kg) were fitted under anesthesia with an electromagnetic flow probe around the portal vein and with permanent cannulas in the portal vein and the carotid artery. From 10 d before surgery, they were accustomed to one of the two semisynthetic, well-balanced diets, containing a high level (53% of DM) of either a maltose-rich glucose syrup (SNat) or of a maltitol-rich hydrogenated glucose syrup (SHyd). Eight days after surgery and after an 18-h fast, each animal was given a last meal (800 g) of the diet to which it was formerly accustomed. For 12 h after this meal, blood samples were taken at 30- to 60-min intervals for glucose, sorbitol, amino N, VFA, D- and L-lactic acids, insulin, and glucagon determinations, and portal blood flow was continuously recorded. The absorption coefficients (amounts appearing for 12 h in the portal blood: amounts ingested, percentage) of glucose and of amino N were not significantly different between the two diets. The amount of sorbitol that appeared within 12 h in the portal blood after SHyd intake was 44 g (25% intake). The amount of VFA that appeared in the portal blood within 12 h was 2.7 times larger (P < .05) after intake of the maltitol-rich diet (SHyd:808 mmol) than after intake of the maltose-rich diet (300 mmol). This difference was due to an increase in absorbed amounts of propionate (SHyd 402 vs SNat 56 mmol, P < .05), butyrate (SHyd 63 vs SNat 17 mmol, P < .01), isovalerate (SHyd 17 vs SNat 5 mmol, P < .05), and acetate (SHyd 298 vs SNat 219 mmol, P < .13). There were no significant changes in insulin and glucagon production. Intake of the maltitol-rich diet resulted in less available energy (82.0%) than did intake of the maltose-rich diet (92.6%).

[Human and animal spongiform encephalopathy. Update on December 17, 1996]. / Encéphalopathies spongiformes humaines et animales. Actualités au 17 décembre 1996.

Recent papers about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) are reviewed: new data, maternal transmission of BSE, epidemiology of BSE in British cattle, structure of the PrP(res), biochemical signature of PrP(res), chronic pesticide-initiated modification of the prion protein, protein markers in cerebrospinal fluid.

[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Review of data collected since the statement of February 6, 1996]. / Encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine. Mise au point des données recueillies depuis le voeu du 6 février 1996.

The observation in 1995 and 1996 of 10 cases of a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (V-CJD) in U.K. suggested a possible relation between this human cases and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Recent papers about this topic are reviewed : hypothesis of a possible genetic link between man and cattle, hypothesis of a acquired resistance against the agent of BSE after a previous infection by a less virulent agent of ovine origin, importance of polymorphism at codon 129 according to the hypothesis of a virus-induced amyloidosis, diagnostic test with cerebrospinal fluid, epidemiology of BSE and prediction of future BSE spread.

[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Second update of data collected since the report of February 6, 1996]. / Encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine. Deuxième mise au point des données recueillies depuis le voeu du 6 février 1996.

The observation in 1995 and 1996 of 12 cases of a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (V-CJD) in U.K. suggested a possible relation between this human cases and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Recent papers about this topic are reviewed: BSE transmission to macaques, transmission of scrapie with embryo transfer, incidence of maternal transmission, PrP protein released by platelets, diagnostic test by detection of PrP protein in tissues of sheep, epidemiology of BSE, french regulations, identification of cattle in U.K.