Mild-to-moderate malnutrition and small intestine of young rhesus monkeys.
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The effect of severe malnutrition and protein deficiency on small intestine has been documented, but the literature on the effect of mild-to-moderate protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on small intestine is scant. Mild-to-moderate PEM is most prevalent in India. Twenty-four young rhesus monkeys weighing 1.5-2.0 kg were divided into two groups, control and experimental. Mild-to-moderate PEM was induced in the experimental group by giving half of the required normal diet providing 2.42 g protein.kg-1.day-1 and 55 kcal.kg-1.day-1. Body weight, serum protein, and D-xylose were measured before starting the experiment, at PEM stage, and after rehabilitation. Experimental monkeys representing group I were killed after a 25-30% reduction in body weight along with control group 1 animals at 12 wk. The rest of the experimental animals were rehabilitated for another 10-12 wk and killed along with their respective controls (control group 2). Brush-border membrane vesicles were prepared from three parts of the small intestine. Viable vesicles were used for the uptake of [U-14C]L-proline. Alkaline phosphatase and enterokinase were also measured. Uptake of L-proline amino acid and the activity of both enzymes were found to be decreased significantly in the PEM group; a D-xylose test was abnormal. All animals recovered after rehabilitation. These results indicate that even mild-to-moderate malnutrition affects the absorptive and digestive capacity of the brush border of the small intestine, which reversed back on rehabilitation.