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Small intestinal mucosa changes, including epithelial cell proliferative activity, of children receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN)

Digestive Diseases and Sciences volume 38, pages 1608–1613 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

We examined the small intestinal histology disaccharidase activities as well as the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA of biopsies maintained in organ culture from seven children (ages 9 months to 5 years) receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Three children suffered from inflammatory bowel disease and received TPN for one month (short term). Four required long-term TPN (>9 months) for short-bowel syndrome. DNA was extracted from the samples following serial precipitation with perchloric acid. Results were compared to those from 22 age-matched children investigated for abdominal pain or chronic diarrhea. Short-term TPN resulted in slightly lower lactase, sucrase, and palatinase activities that were not statistically different from controls. Long-term TPN resulted in focal mild villus atrophy and a decrease in disaccharidase activity in two patients. Biopsies from long-term TPN patients incorporated less thymidine compared to those of controls (P<0.001) when data was expressed per total biopsy (3.6±1.1 vs. 8.4±1.1 fmol) or per milligram of tissue (1.0±0.12 vs 2.7±0.7 fmol). The above data are in general agreement with the hypoplastic effect of TPN in animals. However, in children, much longer periods of TPN are required to realize the changes.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, 219 Bryant Street, 14222, Buffalo, New York

    T. M. Rossi MD, P. C. Lee PhD, C. Young MNS & A. Tjota MD, PhD

  2. Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York

    T. M. Rossi MD, P. C. Lee PhD, C. Young MNS & A. Tjota MD, PhD

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    T. M. Rossi MD, P. C. Lee PhD, C. Young MNS & A. Tjota MD, PhD

Authors
  1. T. M. Rossi MD
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  2. P. C. Lee PhD
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  3. C. Young MNS
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  4. A. Tjota MD, PhD
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Rossi, T.M., Lee, P.C., Young, C. et al. Small intestinal mucosa changes, including epithelial cell proliferative activity, of children receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Digest Dis Sci 38, 1608–1613 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01303167

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01303167

Key Words

  • intestine
  • parenteral nutrition
  • cell kinetics
  • disaccharidases