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Duodenal villous hypertrophy and upregulation of claudin-15 protein expression in lactating rats

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Abstract

In lactation, the intestinal absorption of nutrients and minerals, especially calcium, is markedly enhanced to supply precursors for milk production. Little is known regarding the mechanism of this lactation-induced intestinal hyperabsorption. However, it has been postulated to result from villous hypertrophy with enlarged absorptive area and the upregulation of the cation-selective tight junction protein claudin-15, which could form calcium-permeable paracellular pores, thereby enhancing the paracellular calcium absorption. Here, we demonstrated in the duodenum of 21-day lactating rats that there were increases in the villous height, villous width and crypt depth, which together led to expansion of absorptive surface area. Quantitative real-time PCR further showed that the mRNA levels of claudin-10 and -15 were increased in the duodenal mucosal cells of lactating rats as compared to age-matched unmated control rats. However, immunohistochemical analysis revealed the lactation-induced upregulation of claudin-15, but not claudin-10 protein expression in the duodenal villous cells. The present results, therefore, corroborated the previous hypothesis that lactation induced intestinal absorption of calcium and perhaps other cation minerals, in part, by increasing villous absorptive area and claudin-15 protein expression.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Discovery-based Development Grant, National Science and Technology Development Agency (P-10-11281 to N. Charoenphandhu), the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, the Office of the Higher Education Commission, the Thailand Research Fund (MRG5480230 to K. Wongdee), and the Senior Project Grant, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University (to K. Wongdee). C. Siangpro and S. Chaipai performed the senior project under supervision of K. Wongdee.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Calcium and Bone Research (COCAB), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Kannikar Wongdee, Jarinthorn Teerapornpuntakit & Narattaphol Charoenphandhu

  2. Office of Academic Management, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand

    Kannikar Wongdee

  3. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

    Jarinthorn Teerapornpuntakit & Narattaphol Charoenphandhu

  4. Medical Science Program, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand

    Chitchamai Siangpro & Sunitra Chaipai

Authors
  1. Kannikar Wongdee
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  2. Jarinthorn Teerapornpuntakit
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  3. Chitchamai Siangpro
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  4. Sunitra Chaipai
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  5. Narattaphol Charoenphandhu
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Correspondence to Narattaphol Charoenphandhu.

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Wongdee, K., Teerapornpuntakit, J., Siangpro, C. et al. Duodenal villous hypertrophy and upregulation of claudin-15 protein expression in lactating rats. J Mol Hist 44, 103–109 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-012-9451-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-012-9451-x

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