ABSTRACT
Hypolactasia associated with severe iron-deficiency anemia has been reported in several studies. The objective of the present study was to determine whether hypolactasia is associated with the degree and duration of iron-deficiency anemia. Newly weaned male Wistar rats were divided into a control group receiving a diet supplemented with iron (C) and an experimental group (E) receiving a diet not supplemented with iron (iron-deficiency diet). The animals were studied on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days of the experiment, when overall and iron nutritional status and disaccharidase activity in the small intestine were determined by the Dahlqvist method. A reduction in weight occurred in the anemic animals starting on the 5th day of the study. Anemia was present in the experimental animals, with a progressive worsening up to the 14th day (hemoglobin: C = 13.27 and E = 5.37) and stabilizing thereafter. Saccharase and maltase activities did not differ significantly between groups, whereas lactase showed a significant reduction in total (TA) and specific activity (SA) in the anemic animals starting on the 21st day of the study. Median lactase TA for the C and E groups was 2.27 and 1.25 U on the 21st day, 2.87 and 1.88 U on the 28th day, and 4.20 and 1.59 U on the 35th day, respectively. Median lactase SA was 0.31 and 0.20 U/g wet weight on the 21st day, 0.39 and 0.24 U/g wet weight on the 28th day, and 0.42 and 0.23 U/g wet weight on the 35th day, respectively. These findings suggest a relationship between the enzymatic alterations observed and both the degree and duration of the anemic process. Analysis of other studies on intestinal disaccharidases in anemia suggests that the mechanism of these changes may be functional, i.e., that the enterocytes may suffer a reduction in their ability to synthesize these enzymes.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/enzymology , Disaccharidases/deficiency , Intestine, Small/enzymology , Case-Control Studies , Disaccharidases/analysis , Disease Models, Animal , Hematocrit , Hemoglobins/analysis , Iron/blood , Rats, Wistar , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
Iron-deficiency anemia is the nutritional deficiency most frequently occurring throughout the world, which manifests as a complex systemic disease involving all cells, affecting enzyme activities and modifying protein synthesis. In view of these considerations, the objective of the present study was to determine the effects of iron-deficiency anemia on disaccharidase and on the epithelial morphokinetics of the jejunal mucosa. Newly weaned male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each: C6w received a standard ration containing 36 mg elemental iron per Kg ration for 6 weeks; E6w received and iron-poor ration (5-8 mg/kg ration) for 6 weeks; C10w received an iron-rich ration (36 mg/kg ration) for 10 weeks; E10w received an iron-poor ration for 6 weeks and then an iron-rick ration (36 mg/kg) for an additional 4 weeks. Jejunal fragments were used to measure disaccharidase content and to study cell proliferation. The following results were obtained: 1) a significant reduction (P<0.001) of animal weight, hemoglobin (Hb), serum iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) in groups E6w as compared to C6w; reversal of the alterations in Hb, serum iron and TIBC with iron repletion (E10w = C10w); animal weights continued to be significanly different in group E10w and C10w. 2) Sucrase and maltase levels were unchanged; total and specific lactase levels were significantly lower in group E6w and this reduction was reversed by iron repletion (E10w = C10w). 3) The cell proliferation parameters did not differ between groups. On the basis of these results, we conclude that lactase production was influenced by iron deficiency and that fact was not related to changes in cell population and proliferation in the intestinal mucosa.
Subject(s)
Rats , Animals , Male , Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/metabolism , Disaccharidases/analysis , Disease Models, Animal , Intestinal Mucosa/chemistry , /metabolism , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Foram estudadas algumas caracteristicas de produtos lócteos fermentados com vistas à sua utu/ilizaçäo em crianças com diarréia. Utilizaram-se amostras de iogurte de três marcas e tipos, coalhada industrializada e yakilt. Drtermonaram-se, nos mesmos, conteúdo de proteinas, , gorduras e osmolaridade e calculou-se o valor calórico destes produtos. A média dos niveis de proteina variou de 1,70 a 3,57, situando-se em torno de 3g por cento nos iogurtes e coalhadas. O conteúdo de gorduras variou de 0,07 a 3,56, sendo muito baixo nos iogurtes desnatados e no yakult (média de 0,58 e 0,07, respectivamente). A osmolaridade situou-se em torno de 490 nos iogurtes naturais, desnatados e nas coalhadas e foi bem mais alta nos produtos com acréscimo de açúcares (de 690 a 965)...