QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Online Supporting Material Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wang, J. Articles by Wu, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wang, J. Articles by Wu, G.

---

Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics

Gene Expression Is Altered in Piglet Small Intestine by Weaning and Dietary Glutamine Supplementation^1–3,

⁴ State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China 100094; ⁵ Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX 77843; ⁶ Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, China 410128; and ⁷ College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China 410128

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed: g-wu{at}tamu.edu, wangfl{at}mafic.ac.cn, or yinyulong{at}isa.ac.cn.

Dietary supplementation of glutamine prevents intestinal dysfunction and atrophy in weanling piglets, but the underlying mechanism(s) are largely unknown. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that weaning or glutamine may modulate expression of genes that are crucial for intestinal metabolism and function. In Expt. 1, we obtained small intestine from 28-d-old pigs weaned at 21 d of age and from age-matched suckling piglets. In Expt. 2, piglets were weaned at 21 d of age and then had free access to diets supplemented with 1% L-glutamine (wt:wt) or isonitrogenous L-alanine (control). At d 28, we collected small intestine for biochemical and morphological measurements and microarray analysis of gene expression using the Operon Porcine Genome Oligo set. Early weaning resulted in increased (52–346%) expression of genes related to oxidative stress and immune activation but decreased (35–77%) expression of genes related to macronutrient metabolism and cell proliferation in the gut. Dietary glutamine supplementation increased intestinal expression (120–124%) of genes that are necessary for cell growth and removal of oxidants, while reducing (34–75%) expression of genes that promote oxidative stress and immune activation. Functionally, the glutamine treatment enhanced intestinal oxidative-defense capacity (indicated by a 29% increase in glutathione concentration), prevented jejunal atrophy, and promoted small intestine growth (+12%) and body weight gain (+19%) in weaned piglets. These findings reveal coordinate alterations of gene expression in response to weaning and aid in providing molecular mechanisms for the beneficial effect of dietary glutamine supplementation to improve nutrition status in young mammals.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Jobgen, C. J. Meininger, S. C. Jobgen, P. Li, M.-J. Lee, S. B. Smith, T. E. Spencer, S. K. Fried, and G. Wu Dietary L-Arginine Supplementation Reduces White Fat Gain and Enhances Skeletal Muscle and Brown Fat Masses in Diet-Induced Obese Rats J. Nutr., February 1, 2009; 139(2): 230 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Gao, G. Wu, T. E. Spencer, G. A. Johnson, X. Li, and F. W. Bazer Select Nutrients in the Ovine Uterine Lumen. I. Amino Acids, Glucose, and Ions in Uterine Lumenal Flushings of Cyclic and Pregnant Ewes Biol Reprod, January 1, 2009; 80(1): 86 - 93. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]