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Effect of a
hyper-protein diet on Wistar rats development and intestinal
function
Samia Addou-Benounan1,
Rym Nouria Benamara1, Omar Kheroua1,
Daniel Tomé2 and Djamel Saidi1*
¹Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Nutrition et Sécurité
Alimentaire, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences,
Université d’Oran, Algerie
²UMR INRA
914 Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement
Alimentaire. Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, (Agroparistech)
Paris cedex 05, France.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
djamsaidi@gmail.com.
Tel: 21341513025, 213 550231610. Fax: 21341581925.
Accepted 6 February, 2009 |
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This
study was designed to investigate the long-term effects of a
high-protein diet on the functional and histological
structure of the intestinal epithelium. Sixteen adult male
Wistar rats (180 ± 2.27 g) were divided into two groups: 1)
the control group, (n = 30) were fed a normal diet of 14%
protein; 2) the P50-group (n = 30) were fed a 50% protein
diet. The effects of a high-protein diet were studied over a
period of 2 months. Functional and morphological differences
between the high-protein and control groups were compared.
Internal organs (liver, stomach, lungs, heart, kidneys,
spleen, intestine, skin, surrenal glands, white and brown
adipose tissues) were removed from each sacrificed animal.
The organs were weighed, and histological studies were
performed on jejunal fragments. The weight of the P50 group
rats increased 79%, while the weight of the control-group
increased 98% (p< 0.01 ≤ 0.05). The weight of the white
adipose tissue, the skeleton and the skin were significantly
greater in control-group rats (p< 0.01). An important
modification of the epithelial structure in the intestine
was observed in rats of the P50 group. The average length of
their villi was significantly reduced and there was a
significant increase in their IEL (p< 0.01). Our results
indicate that ingestion of a protein-rich diet over a long
period leads to modification of the histological structure
of the intestinal epithelium, as indicated by; pronounced
atrophy of mucosa; marked inflammatory infiltration of
lymphocytes in the chorion; and many intra-epithelial
lymphocytes.
Key
words:
Food intake, high-protein diet, intestine, intra-epithelial
lymphocytes, milk proteins.
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