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Nutrient Metabolism
Research Communication

The Balance of Dietary Sulfur Amino Acids and the Route of Feeding Affect Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Neonatal Piglets¹

Anna K. Shoveller^*, James D. House, Janet A. Brunton^**, Paul B. Pencharz^*,,, and Ronald O. Ball^*,,,2

^* Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2P5; Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2; ^** The Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3X9; Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8; and Department of Paediatrics and Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ron.ball{at}ualberta.ca.

Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with atherogenesis in adults and increased risk of stroke in infants and children. After a series of experiments to compare the methionine (Met) requirement and cysteine (Cys)-sparing capacity in piglets that were parenterally or enterally fed, we examined the effects of route of feeding and dietary Cys on plasma tHcy concentrations. Piglets (n = 60; 6–8 d old) were fed elemental diets, intragastrically (n = 28) or intravenously (n = 32), with 0.55 g · kg^-1 · d^-1 dietary Cys (n = 28) or without dietary Cys (n = 32). Dietary Met ranged from deficient to excess. Increasing Met intake increased (P < 0.01) plasma tHcy in all treatment groups. Plasma tHcy concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in the enterally fed piglets that did not receive dietary Cys than in all other groups, which did not differ from each other. Therefore, both route of feeding and dietary supply of Met and Cys significantly affected the concentrations of plasma tHcy. These dramatic and rapid alterations in plasma tHcy warrant further studies of sulfur amino acid metabolism in neonatal animals.

KEY WORDS: • homocysteine • methionine • cysteine • total parenteral nutrition • enteral feeding

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