Biomaterial Database

Orally administered lactoferrin increases hepatic protein synthesis in formula-fed newborn pigs. 1996

D G Burrin, and H Wang, and J Heath, and M A Dudley

Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Lactoferrin is a polypeptide which is abundant in colostrum; however, its biologic effect in the neonate is unknown. The objective was to determine the potentially anabolic effect of orally administered lactoferrin on visceral organ growth and protein synthesis in newborn pigs. We studied a total of 18 unsuckled newborn pigs from six litters. Three pigs from each litter were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatment groups (n = 6) and bottle-fed (10 mL/h) formula, formula containing physiologic levels (1 mg/mL) of added bovine lactoferrin (bLF), or colostrum. After 24 h of feeding, we measured visceral organ protein synthesis in vivo using a flooding dose of [3H]phenylalanine. We also measured visceral organ protein and DNA mass, as well as intestinal hydrolase activities and villus morphology. Hepatic protein synthesis in pigs fed either formula containing bLF or colostrum was similar and in both groups was significantly higher than in pigs fed formula. Splenic protein synthesis was not significantly different in pigs fed either formula or formula containing bLF, but was significantly higher in colostrum-fed animals. There were no significant differences in small intestinal growth, protein synthesis, or hydrolase activities between newborn pigs fed formula, formula containing bLF, or colostrum. Our results demonstrate that feeding formula containing physiologic concentrations of added bLF increased hepatic protein synthesis in newborn pigs, suggesting that colostrumborne lactoferrin serves an anabolic function in neonates.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007225	Infant Food	Food processed and manufactured for the nutritional health of children in their first year of life.	Food, Infant,Foods, Infant,Infant Foods
D007781	Lactoferrin	An iron-binding protein that was originally characterized as a milk protein. It is widely distributed in secretory fluids and is found in the neutrophilic granules of LEUKOCYTES. The N-terminal part of lactoferrin possesses a serine protease which functions to inactivate the TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEM used by bacteria to export virulence proteins for host cell invasion.	Lactotransferrin
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D003126	Colostrum	The thin, yellow, serous fluid secreted by the mammary glands during pregnancy and immediately postpartum before lactation begins. It consists of immunologically active substances, white blood cells, water, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.	Colostrums
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000284	Administration, Oral	The giving of drugs, chemicals, or other substances by mouth.	Drug Administration, Oral,Administration, Oral Drug,Oral Administration,Oral Drug Administration,Administrations, Oral,Administrations, Oral Drug,Drug Administrations, Oral,Oral Administrations,Oral Drug Administrations