ENTERAL SUPPLEMENTATION WITH ORNITHINE ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE IMPROVES THE EARLY ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO RESECTION

Background-Polyamine synthesis or uptake, or both, might be an importa nt event that initiates the adaptive hyperplasia seen in the intestina l remnant after partial small bowel resection. Aim-The ability of an e nteral diet supplemented with the ornithine salt: ornithine alpha keto glutarate (OKG), a precursor for polyamine synthesis, to modulate the adaptive response of the remnant ileum after jejunectomy was evaluated .Methods-Adult Wistar rats underwent a resection of the proximal 50% o f the small intestine. Controls underwent a single transection. The ra ts were fed intragastrically with a nutritive mixture supplemented eit her with casein hydrolysate or with OKG (1 g/kg). The isoenergetic and isonitrogeneous diets was given continuously for seven days. Results- Villus and crypt hyperplasia was observed in the remnant ileum compare d with transected controls. OKG supplementation started after resectio n a further increase in villus height. After resection, OKG supplement ation increased significantly the putrescine content and the amount of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA. A twofold to threefold increase of sucr ase activity was measured in the resected animals compared with the tr ansected rats. In contrast, the amount of sucrase mRNA was significant ly lower in the ileum of the resected rats and OKG supplementation ini tiated a further drop in the amount of sucrase mRNA without pronounced changes in enzyme activity. Conclusions-The adaptive hypertrophy seen after resection can be accelerated by supplementing the diet with orn ithine (OKG) a precursor of polyamine synthesis. In the remnant ileum, the reduced amount of sucrase mRNA, despite the increased level of su crase activity, suggests a post-translational control of sucrase expre ssion.