Two-week feeding of difructose anhydride III enhances calcium absorptive activity with epithelial cell proliferation in isolated rat cecal mucosa

Mineo, Hitoshi; Amano, Midori; Minaminida, Kimiko; Chiji, Hideyuki; Shigematsu, Norihiro; Tomita, Fusao; Hara, Hiroshi

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2005.06.015

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Volume 22, Issue 3 , Pages 312-320, March 2006

Two-week feeding of difructose anhydride III enhances calcium absorptive activity with epithelial cell proliferation in isolated rat cecal mucosa

Hitoshi Mineo, Ph.D.
- Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Colabo-Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan
- Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
Midori Amano
- Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Colabo-Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Human Life Science, Fuji Women’s University, Ishikari, Japan
Kimiko Minaminida, Ph.D.
- Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, Colabo-Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan
- Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
Hideyuki Chiji, Ph.D.
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Human Life Science, Fuji Women’s University, Ishikari, Japan
Norihiro Shigematsu, Ph.D.
- Central Research Center, Fancl Corporation, Yokohama, Japan
Fusao Tomita, Ph.D.
- Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
Hiroshi Hara, Ph.D.
- Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-11-706-3352; fax: +81-11-706-2504.

Received 15 March 2005; accepted 2 June 2005.

Abstract

Objective

Ingestion of difructose anhydride III (DFAIII) enhances calcium (Ca) absorption in rats. The present study investigated the mechanism involved in increased Ca transport by DFAIII ingestion. The short-term and long-term effects of DFAIII feeding on Ca transport were determined by using isolated epithelium from the small and large intestine in rats.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an 8% cellulose or 5% cellulose plus 3% DFAIII diet for 14 d. Net epithelial Ca transport in the small intestine, cecum, and colon was compared between the two diet groups by using an Ussing chamber. The contents and epithelial tissues in the cecum were analyzed.

Results

There were no differences in basal and luminal DFAIII-induced Ca transport in the isolated small intestinal and colonic mucosa between the two diet groups. Basal and lumen DFAIII-induced Ca transport in the cecum in the DFAIII-fed group was higher than that in the control group. A decrease in pH and an increase in Ca pools, short-chain fatty acids, or organic acids in the cecal contents and in the depth and number of cells in crypts in cecal tissue were observed.

Conclusions

The increase in Ca transport involved two mechanisms: the presence of DFAIII in the small intestine directly affected the epithelial tissue and caused increased Ca absorption as a short-term effect, and the degradation of DFAIII by microbial fermentation produced short-chain fatty acids and subsequently enhanced Ca absorption in the large intestine as a long-term effect.

Keywords: Calcium absorption , Indigestible saccharide , Ussing chamber , Intestine , Rats