Back to Search Start Over

Changes, with age, in the phospholipid content of the intestinal mucus layer of the newborn rabbit

Authors :
Robert A. Drongowski
David Lee
Masahiko Urao
Akira Abe
Hiroomi Okuyama
Arnold G. Coran
Carroll M. Harmon
Source :
Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 33:35-38
Publication Year :
1998
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 1998.

Abstract

The high incidence of bacterial translocation in newborns is thought to be caused, in part, by the immaturity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Recently, intestinal mucus phospholipids (PL) have been reported to be important factors in the function of this mucosal barrier. The aim of this study was to quantify changes, with age, in the intestinal mucus PL of the newborn rabbit.Mucus was gently scraped from the small intestinal mucosal surface of rabbits of different ages (0, 7, 14, and 28 days old and adult; n = 6 for all groups). PL was extracted from the mucus and was separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The isolated phospholipid spots were quantified for their phosphorus content.Total PL content of the mucus decreased significantly with age (day 0, 21+/-2; day 7, 16+/-4; day 14, 9+/-3; day 28, 2+/-1; adult, 1+/-1 micromol/g wet mucus; P = .0001). Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine levels in the adult rabbits were significantly lower in comparison with the 0-, 7-, and 14-day-old pups (P.05). In contrast, lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine were significantly higher in the 28-day-old and adult rabbits in comparison with the 0-, 7-, and 14-day-old pups (P.05). Phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidylserine levels in 7-day-old rabbits was significantly higher compared with adult rabbits. There was no significant difference in the composition of sphingomyeline between groups.Significant changes in the content and composition of the intestinal mucus phospholipids were observed during the first month of life in rabbits.

Details

ISSN :
00223468
Volume :
33
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....ccc2a03877149d53acd599fc822995fc
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3468(98)90356-6