Volume 71, Issue 4 pp. 543-549
Original Article: Nutrition

In the Short-term, Milk Fat Globule Epidermal Growth Factor-8 Causes Site-specific Intestinal Growth in Resected Piglets

Justine M. Turner

Corresponding Author

Justine M. Turner

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Justine M. Turner, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87th Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 1C9 (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
Petro George

Petro George

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Search for more papers by this author
Marihan Lansing

Marihan Lansing

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Search for more papers by this author
George Slim

George Slim

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Search for more papers by this author
Pamela R. Wizzard

Pamela R. Wizzard

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Search for more papers by this author
Patrick Nation

Patrick Nation

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Search for more papers by this author
Patricia L. Brubaker

Patricia L. Brubaker

Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Search for more papers by this author
Paul W. Wales

Paul W. Wales

Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Group for the Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 02 July 2020
Citations: 1

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text, and links to the digital files are provided in the HTML text of this article on the journal's Web site (www.jpgn.org).

Disclosures: Research was supported by Empire Biotechnologies, Inc., who supplied MFG-E8 in-kind.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) remains the leading cause of neonatal intestinal failure. Milk fat globule epidermal growth factor-8 (MFG-E8), present in human milk, has homology with epidermal growth factor (EGF), known to enhance adaptation in SBS. In this pilot study, the role of oral MFG-E8 treatment in SBS was explored in neonatal piglets.

Methods:

Neonatal piglets underwent 75% intestinal resection, either distal (jejunal-colonic [JC] anastomosis) or mid-intestinal (jejunal-ileal [JI] anastomosis). Piglets were randomized to intragastric treatment with MFG-E8 (5 mg/kg per day) or saline and were maintained on parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition for 7 days. Adaptation was assessed by intestinal length and weight, histopathology, fecal fat analysis and RT-qPCR analysis of mucosal transcripts, including growth factors.

Results:

JI piglets demonstrated intestinal lengthening (P < 0.001), 2-fold greater in ileum than jejunum (P = 0.02), where lengthening was increased by MFG-E8 treatment (P = 0.02). JC piglets did not exhibit jejunal lengthening, regardless of treatment. Fat absorption was greater for JI piglets (P = 0.02), unaffected by treatment. In JI piglets, expression of Egf was increased in the ileum (P < 0.01) and MFG-E8 treatment increased Egfr (receptor) expression (P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

MF-EG8 demonstrated site-specific trophic effects, only with JI anatomy. This may limit the utility of this treatment for SBS, except for rare patients with retained ileum. The mechanisms of these site-specific effects, however, and the role of MFG-E8 in neonatal gut growth and in diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis that commonly target ileum, warrant further exploration.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.