Early-life malnutrition causes gastrointestinal dysmotility that is sexually dimorphic
Krishnakant G. Soni
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPeace N. Dike
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJi Ho Suh
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorTripti Halder
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPrice T. Edwards
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJaime P. P. Foong
Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMargaret E. Conner
Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Geoffrey A. Preidis
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Correspondence
Geoffrey A. Preidis, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Texas Children’s Hospital Feigin Tower, 1102 Bates Avenue, Suite 860, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorKrishnakant G. Soni
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPeace N. Dike
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJi Ho Suh
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorTripti Halder
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPrice T. Edwards
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJaime P. P. Foong
Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMargaret E. Conner
Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Geoffrey A. Preidis
Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Correspondence
Geoffrey A. Preidis, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Texas Children’s Hospital Feigin Tower, 1102 Bates Avenue, Suite 860, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Background
Slow gastrointestinal (GI) transit occurs in moderate-to-severe malnutrition. Mechanisms underlying malnutrition-associated dysmotility remain unknown, partially due to lack of animal models. This study sought to characterize GI dysmotility in mouse models of malnutrition.
Methods
Neonatal mice were malnourished by timed maternal separation. Alternatively, low-protein, low-fat diet was administered to dams, with malnourished neonates tested at two weeks or weaned to the same chow and tested as young adults. We determined total GI transit time by carmine red gavage, colonic motility by rectal bead latency, and both gastric emptying and small bowel motility with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran. We assessed histology with light microscopy, ex vivo contractility and permeability with force-transduction and Ussing chamber studies, and gut microbiota composition by 16S rDNA sequencing.
Key Results
Both models of neonatal malnutrition and young adult malnourished males but not females exhibited moderate growth faltering, stunting, and grossly abnormal stomachs. Progression of fluorescent dye was impaired in both neonatal models of malnutrition, whereas gastric emptying was delayed only in maternally separated pups and malnourished young adult females. Malnourished young adult males but not females had atrophic GI mucosa, exaggerated intestinal contractile responses, and increased gut barrier permeability. These sex-specific abnormalities were associated with altered gut microbial communities.
Conclusions & Inferences
Multiple models of early-life malnutrition exhibit delayed upper GI transit. Malnutrition affects young adult males more profoundly than females. These models will facilitate future studies to identify mechanisms underlying malnutrition-induced pathophysiology and sex-specific regulatory effects.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
No competing interests declared.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
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| nmo13936-sup-0001-FigS1-S8.docxWord document, 5.6 MB | Fig S1-S8 |
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