L-Leucine is a signaling
amino acid in animal metabolism. It is unknown whether supplementing
L-leucine to breast-fed neonates may enhance their small-intestinal development. This hypothesis was tested with a piglet model. Seven-day-old sow-reared pigs with an average
birth weight of 1.45 kg were assigned randomly to the control or
leucine group (
n = 30/group). Piglets in the
leucine group were orally administrated with 1.4 g
L-leucine/kg
body weight, whereas piglets in the control group received isonitrogenous
L-alanine, twice daily for 14 days. The supplemental
L-leucine amounted to 200 % of
L-leucine intake from sow's milk by 7-day-old pigs. At the end of the 2-week experiment, tissue samples were collected for determining intestinal morphology, expression of genes for intestinal
leucine transporters (real-time RT-PCR and western blot analysis), and plasma metabolites and
hormones.
L-leucine administration increased (P < 0.05) villus height in the duodenum, an elevated ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum and ileum, plasma concentrations of
leucine,
glutamine and
asparagine, as well as
body-weight gains.
mRNA levels for
L-leucine transporters (SLC6A14, SLC6A19 and SLC7A9) and the abundance of the ATB(0,+)
protein were increased (P < 0.05) but those for SLC7A7
mRNA and the LAT2
protein were decreased (P < 0.05) in the jejunum of
leucine-supplemented piglets, compared with the control. Plasma concentrations of
ammonia,
urea,
triglycerides, and growth-related
hormones did not differ between the control and
leucine groups. Collectively, these results indicate that
L-leucine supplementation improves intestinal development and whole-body growth in suckling piglets with a normal
birth weight.