Browsing by Subject "Polyamines"

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    Biological significance of dietary polyamines
    (Elsevier, 2006-09-22) Larqué, Elvira; Sabater Molina, María; Zamora, Salvador; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
    Polyamines are classically known by their names of putrescine, spermine, and spermidine. They are synthesized endogenously from ornithine and are interconvertible. In addition, an exogenous supply of polyamines is provided by dietary intake and by intestinal absorption from the products of bacterial metabolism. Polyamine uptake occurs almost entirely in the gut, and afterward the various forms are metabolized in different tissues under the strict regulation of ornithine decarboxylase, which is the first enzyme involved in their synthesis. Polyamines are eliminated from the organism by means of oxidation reactions, appearing in urine in all their metabolic forms. Polyamines play an important role in regulating cell growth and proliferation, the stabilization of negative charges of DNA, RNA transcription, protein synthesis, apoptosis, and the regulation of the immune response. They are components of breast milk and might be important in neonatal gut maturation, for which reason the possible supplementation of infant formulas with these compounds is under study.
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    Effects of dietary polyamines at physiologic doses in early-weaned piglets
    (Elsevier, 2009-01-22) Sabater Molina, María; Larqué, Elvira; Torrella, Francisco; Plaza, Javier; Muñoz, Antonio; Zamora, Salvador; Lozano Parejo, Teresa; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
    Objective: Polyamines are essential for many cell functions, and they form part of the composition of maternal milk; despite this, their addition to infant formulas is currently under evaluation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of milk formulas designed to resemble sow milk supplemented with polyamines at maternal physiologic milk doses on the gut maturation of early-weaned piglets. Methods: We fed 30 newborn piglets with maternal milk (n=10), a control milk formula (n=10), or a milk formula supplemented with polyamines (5 nmol/mL of spermine and 20 nmol/mL of spermidine, n=10) for 13 d (day 2 after birth through day 15). Several growth and intestinal development parameters were measured. Results: The piglets fed the formula containing polyamine at physiologic doses showed significantly increased crypt depth in the small intestine compared with those fed with the control formula. Villus length was correlated to crypt depth. Although there were no differences in the disaccharidase activities between the animals fed the two formulas, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities tended to be higher in the jejunum of those fed the polyamine-supplemented diet. Dietary polyamines did not significantly modify the gut mucosal concentrations of putrescine, spermine, or spermidine. Conclusion: Milk formulas supplemented with polyamines at maternal milk physiologic doses slightly enhanced gut growth and maturation in neonatal piglets.