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Published on: June 24, 2020
Enteral feeding in utero induces marked intestinal structural and functional proteome changes in pig fetuses
Pingping Jiang1, Jennifer Man-Fan Wan, Wai-Hung Sit
1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Enteral nutrition promotes intestinal maturation in fetal pigs, independent of birth factors. This suggests early feeding is key for newborn gut development, even before birth.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Developmental Biology
- Proteomics
Background:
- Intestinal adaptation to enteral nutrition is vital for neonatal survival and growth.
- Postnatal feeding rapidly matures the gut in preterm and term neonates.
- The role of birth transition factors (microbiome, endocrine, metabolic) in this maturation is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if enteral feeding can mature the immature intestine in utero.
- To determine if fetal gut maturation is dependent on birth transition factors.
Main Methods:
- Gel-based proteomics was used to analyze protein changes in fetal pig intestines.
- Control and enterally fed (milk formula for 24h) fetal pigs were compared in utero.
- Intestinal mass and brush border enzyme activities were measured.
Main Results:
- Enteral feeding induced significant changes in 38 proteins, increased intestinal mass, and altered brush border enzyme activities.
- Identified proteins were involved in enterocyte apoptosis and nutrient metabolism.
- Proteomic changes were similar to those in postnatal preterm pigs, but without inflammatory responses.
Conclusions:
- Enteral feeding independently induces significant gut maturation and proteome changes in the immature intestine.
- Postnatal feeding-induced gut maturation is largely independent of birth transition factors.
- In utero enteral feeding demonstrates the intestine's capacity for maturation prior to birth.
Abstract:
Intestinal adaptation from parenteral to enteral nutrition is crucial for survival and growth of newborns. Rapid feeding-induced gut maturation occurs immediately after birth in both preterm and term neonates, but it remains unclear whether the responses depend on factors related to birth transition (e.g. bacterial colonization, endocrine, and metabolic changes). We hypothesized that enteral feeding matures the immature intestine, even in fetuses before birth. Hence, control pig fetuses were compared with fetuses fed with milk formula for 24 h in utero. Gel-based proteomics showed that feeding-induced changes in 38 proteins, along with marked increases in intestinal mass and changes in activities of brush border enzymes. Physiological functions of the identified proteins were related to enterocyte apoptosis (e.g. caspase 1) and nutrient metabolism (e.g. citric acid cycle proteins). Many of the differentiated proteins were similar to those identified previously in preterm pigs fed with the same formula after birth, except that effects on proteins related to inflammatory lesions (e.g. heat shock proteins) were absent. Our results show that enteral feeding, independently of the birth transition, induces marked gut maturation and proteome change in the immature intestine. Hence, immediate postnatal feeding-induced gut changes are largely independent of factors related to the birth transition.
