A Pancreatic Extract-Enriched Diet Corrects Ileal Mucosa Atrophy in Endotoxemic Aged Rats

An altered adaptive response of the pancreas andsmall intestine to nutritional stress has an adverseimpact upon nutritional status in elderly humans orsenescent rats. We evaluated the effects of a pancreatic extract nutritional supplement on intestinalmucosa adaptation in LPS-treated aged rats. Endotoxemicrats were starved for 48 hr and then refed ad libitumfor four days with a standard diet. Afterwards they received, over one week, the standard dietenriched with either pancreatic extract (PE) (2.4 g/day)or casein (isonitrogenous to PE supplement). Healthyaged rats fed ad libitum with a standard diet were studied in parallel. Whereas no changesoccurred in the jejunal segment, an adaptive villushyperplasia was observed in the proximal ileum of ratsreceiving PE without an increase in the brush border hydrolase activities. Our results indicate thatoral PE supplementation exerts a trophic effect on theileal mucosa of aged rats in response to nutritionalstress.