The use of protein hydrolysate improves the protein intestinal absorption in undernourished mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

Patients residing in endemic areas for schistosomiasis in Brazil are usually undernourished and when they develop the hepatosplenic clinical form of the disease should usually receive hospital care, many of them being in need of nutritional rehabilitation before specific treatment can be undertaken. In the mouse model, investigations carried out in our laboratory detected a reduced aminoacid uptake in undernourished animals which is aggravated by a superimposed infection with Schistosoma mansoni. However, in well-nourished infected mice no dysfunction occurs. In this study, we tried to improve the absorptive intestinal performance of undernourished mice infected with S. mansoni by feeding them with hydrolysed casein instead of whole casein. The values obtained for the coefficient of protein intestinal absorption (cpia) among well-nourished mice were above 90% (either hydrolysed or whole protein). In undernourished infected mice, however, the cpia improved significantly after feeding them with hydrolysed casein, animals reaching values close to those obtained in well-nourished infected mice.

Could diet composition modulate pathological outcomes in schistosomiasis mansoni? A systematic review of in vivo preclinical evidence

“…Interestingly, we clearly identified that despite attenuation in organ damage, infected animals exposed to protein restriction also exhibited higher mortality rates than control animals. As previously suggested (Ferreira and Coutinho, 1999; Coutinho et al 2002; Barros et al 2014), this finding indicated that both infection development and host defences are equally and adversely affected by malnutrition. As infection and malnutrition determine marked organic debility, it is evident that both conditions interact to determine more severe clinical outcomes, especially disproportionately high morbidity and mortality rates (Ferreira and Coutinho, 1999; Barros et al 2014).…”

Avoidance of hydrolyzed casein by mice

“…In piglets, the reverse was found: no effect of the proteolysis of casein on amino acid absorption [51] but the suggestion that casein was slower to leave the stomach [52]. Nitrogen absorption of a HCcontaining diet was higher than for a C-containing diet for mice maintained on a protein-poor diet (5.2%), although not for mice maintained on a complete diet (22.6% protein) [53].…”

Changes in the small intestine ofSchistosoma mansoni-infected mice fed a high-fat diet

“…Most experimental studies on schistosomiasis have demonstrated that the host-parasite relationship may be modified by the host's nutritional status (Kanuft and Warren, 1969; Coutinho et al . 2002). This work aimed to evaluate whether a high-fat diet could affect the architecture of the intestine in S. mansoni -infected mice.…”

“…Diet-induced models have proven beneficial for evaluating the physiological changes that take place during the pathogenesis of diseases (Neves et al 2001). Most experimental studies on schistosomiasis have demonstrated that the host-parasite relationship may be modified by the host's nutritional status (Kanuft and Warren, 1969;Coutinho et al 2002). This work aimed to evaluate whether a high-fat diet could affect the architecture of the intestine in S. mansoni-infected mice.…”