Journal article
Modulation of the gut microbiota with antibiotic treatment suppresses whole body urea production in neonatal pigs
We examined whether changes in the gut microbiota induced by clinically relevant interventions would impact the bioavailability of dietary amino acids in neonates. We tested the hypothesis that modulation of the gut microbiota in neonatal pigs receiving no treatment (control), intravenously administered antibiotics, or probiotics affects whole body nitrogen and amino acid turnover.
We quantified whole body urea kinetics, threonine fluxes, and threonine disposal into protein, oxidation, and tissue protein synthesis with stable isotope techniques. Compared with controls, antibiotics reduced the number and diversity of bacterial species in the distal small intestine (SI) and colon.
Antibiotics decreased plasma urea concentrations via decreased urea synthesis. Antibiotics elevated threonine plasma concentrations and turnover, as well as whole body protein synthesis and proteolysis. Antibiotics decreased protein synthesis rate in the proximal SI and liver but did not affect the distal SI, colon, or muscle.
Probiotics induced a bifidogenic microbiota and decreased plasma urea concentrations but did not affect whole body threonine or protein metabolism. Probiotics decreased protein synthesis in the proximal SI but not in other tissues. In conclusion, modulation of the gut microbiota by antibiotics and probiotics reduced hepatic ureagenesis and intestinal protein synthesis, but neither altered whole body net threonine balance.
These findings suggest that changes in amino acid and nitrogen metabolism resulting from antibiotic- or probiotic-induced shifts in the microbiota are localized to the gut and liver and have limited impact on whole body growth and anabolism in neonatal piglets.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | American Physiological Society |
Year: | 2013 |
Pages: | G300-G310 |
ISSN: | 15221547 and 01931857 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1152/ajpgi.00229.2011 |
ORCIDs: | Boye, Mette |
Amino Acids Animals Animals, Newborn Anti-Bacterial Agents Bifidobacteria Bifidobacterium Blotting, Western Body Weight Gastrointestinal Tract Immunohistochemistry Kinetics Metagenome Mucin-2 Mucins Mucosal Biology Nitrogen Organ Size Oxidation-Reduction Polymerase Chain Reaction Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length Probiotics Protein Biosynthesis Swine Threonine Urea amino acids intestine metabolism threonine