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A New Biomarker of Absorptive Function and Gut Health for Nutritional Studies in Animal Models and in Humans
Author(s) -
Butler Ross N
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a1121-a
Subject(s) - bioavailability , biomarker , absorptive capacity , breath test , small intestine , medicine , gastroenterology , physiology , biology , pharmacology , biochemistry , industrial organization , business , helicobacter pylori
A major factor in defining the regulation of absorptive capacity and efficiency is the health status of the small intestinal villi, the primary absorptive unit. The ability to measure the effectiveness of these units, their integrated action in vivo would provide a new and important parameter for nutrition and bioavailability studies. A novel breath test to measure small intestinal villous health and efficiency has now been developed in our laboratory. This test measures the integrated absorptive capacity and the results are expressed as a cumulative percentage of administered dose recovered at 90 minutes (cPDR90) after administration of a 13 C stable isotope substrate. This biomarker allows us to define the functional status of the small intestine in individuals and in different populations where mucosa is damaged, impaired or functionally down or upregulated. In humans using this breath test we have monitored and shown significant differences (p<0.05) in absorptive function in three age groups: in infants (0–4 yrs) cPDR90 of 5.53 ± 0.69 (mean ± SEM), vs adults (20–40 yrs) 8.51 ± 0.25 and the aged (60–80 yrs) 13.6 ± 1.76. This new test is an index of absorptive function for studies in human populations.