0
The duodenal mucosa of piglets fed the 0.37 and 1.11% TID threonine diets exhibited distorted villus architecture. Compared with pigs fed the 0.74 and 0.89% TID threonine diets, apoptosis was higher (P<0.05) in pigs fed the 1.11% TID threonine diet. Feeding 0.37 and 1.11% TID threonine reduced (P<0.05) concentrations of ileal acidomucins and duodenal sulfomucins, respectively, compared with the 0.74% TID threonine group. Compared with piglets fed the 0.89% TID threonine diet, the total amounts of mucins in duodenum, as well as expression of MUC2 mRNA in duodenum and jejunum, were reduced (P<0.05) in piglets fed the 0.37 and 1.11% TID threonine diets.
Collectively, these findings indicate that a deficiency or excess of dietary threonine affects the intestinal mucosal barrier and that the optimal level of dietary TID threonine for supporting gut barrier function is 0.89% for weanling pigs. These new findings have important implications for both the maintenance of normal physiological functions and the prevention of gut-related diseases in neonates.
W Wang, X Zeng, X Mao, G Wu, and S Qiao, 2010. Journal of Nutrition 140: 981–986.
