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A Whey-Based Diet Can Ameliorate the Effects of LPS-Induced Growth Attenuation in Young Rats
Chen Menahem1, Michal Foist1, Yasmin Mansour2
1Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Insights
Whey protein diets protected young rats from growth impairment caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. Whey improved bone growth markers, unlike soy protein, highlighting its potential in managing childhood inflammatory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Inflammation Research
- Skeletal Biology
Background:
- Chronic inflammation in children often leads to impaired growth.
- Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a common model to induce inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of whey versus soy protein diets in ameliorating LPS-induced growth attenuation in young rats.
- To assess the impact of these diets on specific growth and inflammatory markers.
Main Methods:
- Young rats were injected with LPS and fed either normal chow, whey-based, or soy-based diets.
- Evaluated parameters included body and spleen weight, food consumption, humerus length, and epiphyseal growth plate (EGP) height and structure.
- Assessed inflammatory markers in the spleen and differentiation markers in the EGP using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
Main Results:
- LPS injection significantly increased spleen weight and decreased EGP height.
- Whey protein, but not soy protein, protected rats from these LPS-induced effects.
- In a recovery model, whey protein increased EGP height and positively impacted the hypertrophic zone (HZ) of the EGP, which was shortened by LPS.
Conclusions:
- LPS significantly affects spleen weight and EGP height, particularly the hypertrophic zone.
- Whey protein nutrition demonstrated a protective effect against LPS-induced growth attenuation in young rats.
- Whey protein shows potential as a therapeutic nutritional intervention for growth impairment associated with inflammation.
Abstract:
Chronic inflammation in childhood is associated with impaired growth. In the current study, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model of inflammation in young rats was used to study the efficacy of whey-based as compared to soy-based diets to ameliorate growth attenuation. Young rats were injected with LPS and fed normal chow or diets containing whey or soy as the sole protein source during treatment, or during the recovery period in a separate set of experiments. The body and spleen weight, food consumption, humerus length, and EGP height and structure were evaluated. Inflammatory markers in the spleen and markers of differentiation in the EGP were assessed using qPCR. The LPS led to a significant increase in the spleen weight and a decrease in the EGP height. Whey, but not soy, protected the animals from both effects. In the recovery model, whey led to increased EGP height at both 3 and 16 d post treatment. The most affected region in the EGP was the hypertrophic zone (HZ), which was significantly shortened by the LPS treatment but enlarged by whey. In conclusion, LPS affected the spleen weight and EGP height and had a specific effect on the HZ. Nutrition with whey protein appeared to protect the rats from the LPS-induced growth attenuation.
