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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305152
Title: Bovine colostrum improves intestinal function following formula-induced gut inflammation in preterm pigs

Author
item STOY, ANN CATHRINE - University Of Denmark
item HEEGAARD, PETER M. - University Of Denmark
item THYMANN, THOMAS - University Of Copenhagen
item BJERRE, METTE - Aarhus University
item SKOVGAARD, KERSTIN - University Of Copenhagen
item BOYE, METTE - University Of Copenhagen
item STOLL, BARBARA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item SCHMIDT, METTE - University Of Copenhagen
item JENSEN, BRENT - Aarhus University
item SANGILD, PER - University Of Copenhagen

Submitted to: Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2013
Publication Date: 4/1/2014
Citation: Stoy, A.F., Heegaard, P.H., Thymann, T., Bjerre, M., Skovgaard, K., Boye, M., Stoll, B., Schmidt, M., Jensen, B.B., Sangild, P.T. 2014. Bovine colostrum improves intestinal function following formula-induced gut inflammation in preterm pigs. Clinical Nutrition. 33(2):322-329.

Interpretive Summary: Premature infants as well as premature pigs are at increased risk for an intestinal inflammatory disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This disease develops due to the immaturity of the intestine and is increased by feeding formula compared to breast milk which is rich in natural components that are not present in formula. Since mother's milk often times is unavailable we tested whether feeding cows' colostrum (natural first milk after birth) compared to formula would improve intestinal development and decrease the NEC severity in premature pigs. We found that pigs fed with colostrum had improved intestinal growth and digestive function compared to formula-fed pigs. We also found that inflammation and bacteria associated with NEC were reduced. Feeding cows' colostrum compared to formula improved intestinal development and reduced inflammation in preterm pigs. Further studies are needed to test whether cows' colostrum may also benefit premature infants when human breast milk is unavailable.

Technical Abstract: Only few hours of formula feeding may induce proinflammatory responses and predispose to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm pigs. We hypothesized that bovine colostrum, rich in bioactive factors, would improve intestinal function in preterm pigs following an initial exposure to formula feeding after some days of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). After receiving TPN for 2 days, preterm pigs were fed formula (FORM, "n" = 14), bovine colostrum (COLOS, "n" = 6), or formula (6 h) followed by bovine colostrum (FCOLOS, "n" = 14). Intestinal lesions, function, and structure, abundance and location of bacteria, and inflammation markers were investigated. NEC severity and interleukins (IL)-1Beta and -8 protein concentrations were lower, while villus height, galactose absorption, and brush-border enzyme activities were increased in the distal small intestine in COLOS and FCOLOS pigs, relative to FORM pigs. Intestinal gene expression of serum amyloid A, IL-1Beta, -6 and -8, and bacterial abundance, correlated positively with NEC severity of the distal small intestine. Bovine colostrum restores intestinal function after initial formula-induced inflammation in preterm pigs. Further studies are required to test if bovine colostrum may also benefit preterm infants during the challenging transition from total parenteral nutrition to enteral nutrition, when human milk is unavailable.