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Pancreatic and salivary amylase activity in undernourished Colombian children
Insights
Malnutrition in children significantly alters amylase production. Undernourished children showed decreased pancreatic amylase and increased salivary amylase, impacting overall amylase activity in secretions and serum.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Amylase, an enzyme crucial for carbohydrate digestion, is produced by the pancreas and salivary glands.
- Malnutrition can impact various physiological processes, including enzyme production and activity.
- Understanding amylase alterations in malnourished children is vital for assessing nutritional status and potential health complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitate amylase activities in the secretions of malnourished Colombian children.
- To investigate the distinct effects of marginal and severe malnutrition on amylase isozyme production.
- To assess the impact of malnutrition on amylase levels in urine, saliva, tears, and serum.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of amylase activities in various biological samples (urine, saliva, tears, serum).
- Comparison of amylase isozyme profiles in marginally and severely malnourished children versus normal children.
- Analysis of age-specific differences in amylase activity related to malnutrition severity.
Main Results:
- Marginally malnourished children showed altered urinary amylase isozyme activity, with increased salivary and decreased pancreatic amylase.
- Total amylase activity was reduced in undernourished children.
- Significantly lower amylase activity was observed in the saliva and tears of malnourished children.
- Severely malnourished older children exhibited significantly lower amylase activity in their serum and tears.
Conclusions:
- Both marginal and severe malnutrition distinctly affect amylase production by the pancreas and salivary glands in young children.
- Malnutrition significantly suppresses amylase activity in tears, saliva, and serum.
- These findings highlight the systemic impact of malnutrition on digestive enzyme function.
Abstract:
Amylase activities were quantitated in secretions of marginally and severely malnourished Colombian children. In young children with a mean age of 21 months, the relative pancreatic and salivary amylase isozyme activities of urine were significantly changed in marginally malnourished children compared to normal children. There was a relative increase in salivary and decrease in pancreatic amylase activity in the undernourished children and total amylase activity was somewhat decreased. Amylase activity in saliva and tears was significantly lower in these malnourished children. Older children who were more severely malnourished had significantly lower amylase activity in their sera and tears. Thus marginal and severe malnutrition affects the production of amylase by the pancreas and salivary glands of young children distinctly. It significantly suppresses amylase activity in tears, saliva, and serum.