Small Intestine Could be a Major Organ Contributing to Systemic Inflammation and Cardiovascular Complications.

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine the role of intestine in systemic inflammation.IntroductionThe small intestine receives various ingredients from food and water and the interplay between them, luminal microbiota and the enterocytes appears to play role in many digestive interactions.Objectivewe sought to determine if in a mouse model of inflammatory stress a high fat diet would affect the circulating levels of 12‐ hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12‐HETE) an inflammatory metabolite of arachidonic acid and of serum amyloid A (SAA) a major marker of inflammation.MethodsMale ApoE deficient mice (n=10 per treatment group) were maintained on the laboratory chow or on a Western Type Diet containing 1.25% cholesterol for two weeks. Blood was removed from fasting mice according to UCLA IRB guidelines, plasma was separated and analyzed using a commercial ELISA system.Results12‐HETE an SAA levels were significantly higher in the circulation of the mice on the high fat diet (p=0.012 and p=0.023 respectively. These molecules have systemic effect and their high levels would result in a cascade of interactions producing high levels of other inflammatory molecules.Conclusiondietary factors such as lipids can affect intestine and result in elevated levels of inflammatory components. Systemic inflammation brought about by dietary ingredients can in turn produce pathological conditions in various organs and throughout the organism. This emphasizes the importance of the small intestine and the dietary habits in general health and well being.