An elemental diet fed, enteral or parenteral, does not support growth in young pigs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Young individuals with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) show growth reduction that can be reversed by dietary pancreatic enzyme supplementation. Here we investigated whether feeding an elemental diet could replace the growth-promoting effect of enzyme supplementation in EPI pigs.

METHODS:

Weaned pigs with intact pancreas (control) or pancreatic duct-ligated (EPI pigs) were given a commercial pig feed, a fat-enriched diet, or an elemental diet, intragastrically and intravenously, with or without porcine pancreatin (Creon) supplementation for 1 week.

RESULTS:

Control pigs, irrespective of receiving pig feed or an elemental diet, increased their body weight by 13.4-20.1%, while EPI pigs showed negligible weight gain. Giving a fat-enriched diet did not improve growth of the EPI pigs. However, if the EPI pigs were supplemented with pancreatin in combination with fat-enriched feed or the elemental diet, i.v., their body weight increased by 16.6 %and 8.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

Control pigs maintained normal growth, independently of the diet being given in polymeric or elemental form, while EPI pigs showed impaired growth when receiving the same diets without enzyme supplementation. Pancreatic juice and enzyme preparations, in addition to their digestive properties, also appear to affect nutrient assimilation and anabolism in young individuals.

• Authors: Sofia Rengman, Olexandr Fedkiv, Jos Botermans, Jörgen Svendsen, Björn Weström, Stefan Pierzynowski
• Journal: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) (Clin Nutr) Vol. 28 Issue 3 Pg. 325-30 (Jun 2009) ISSN: 1532-1983 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19297056 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Dietary Fats
• Gastrointestinal Agents
• Pancreatin

Topics

• Animal Feed
• Animals
• Dietary Fats (administration & dosage, metabolism)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (therapy)
• Gastrointestinal Agents (therapeutic use)
• Ligation
• Male
• Pancreas (enzymology, metabolism)
• Pancreatic Ducts (surgery)
• Pancreatin (therapeutic use)
• Random Allocation
• Sus scrofa (growth & development, metabolism)
• Swine
• Weight Gain (drug effects)