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Adaptive response of equine intestinal Na+/glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) to an increase in dietary soluble carbohydrate

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Abstract

Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that consumption of hydrolyzable carbohydrate, hCHO (grain), by horses is an important risk factor for colic, a common cause of equine mortality. It is unknown whether the small intestinal capacity to digest hCHO and/or to absorb monosaccharides is limiting, or even if horses can adapt to increased carbohydrate load. We investigated changes in the brush-border membrane carbohydrate digestive enzymes and glucose absorptive capacity of horse small intestine in response to increased hCHO. Expression of the Na+/glucose co-transporter, SGLT1, was assessed by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, Northern blotting, QPCR, and Na+-dependent d-glucose transport. Glucose transport rates, SGLT1 protein, and mRNA expression were all 2-fold higher in the jejunum and 3- to 5-fold higher in the ileum of horses maintained on a hCHO-enriched diet compared to pasture forage. Activity of the disaccharidases was unaltered by diet. In a well-controlled study, we determined SGLT1 expression in the duodenal and ileal biopsies of horses switched, gradually over a 2-month period, from low (<1.0 g/kg bwt/day) to high hCHO (6.0 g/kg bwt/day) diets of known composition. We show that SGLT1 expression is enhanced, with time, 2-fold in the duodenum and 3.3-fold in the ileum. The study has important implications for dietary management of the horse.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support of The Horse Trust, Horserace Betting Levy Board, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Equine Guelph is gratefully acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Ray J. Geor

    Present address: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epithelial Function and Development Group, Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill and Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZJ, UK

    Jane Dyer, Miran Al-Rammahi, Kieron S. H. Salmon & Soraya P. Shirazi-Beechey

  2. Equine Division, The Philip Leverhulme Large Animal Hospital, The University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Wirral, CH64 7TE, UK

    G. Barrie Edwards & Christopher J. Proudman

  3. Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1

    Louise Waterfall, Ray J. Geor & Ludovic Bouré

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  1. Jane Dyer
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Correspondence to Soraya P. Shirazi-Beechey.

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Supplementary Fig. 1

Immunodetection of GLUT2 in the small intestine of horses maintained on concentrate diets. Immunofluorescent detection of GLUT2 in sections of horse jejunum, using either the antibody targeted to the C-terminus region of GLUT2 (a) or to the extracellular loop between transmembrane regions 1 and 2 of equine GLUT2 (b) (magnification ×10). Omission of both primary antibodies for GLUT2 showed no non-specific immunoreactivity in equine small intestine (c and d, ×40 magnification; controls for Fig. 4a, b). Scale bar = 20 μm (DOC 24.0 KB)

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Dyer, J., Al-Rammahi, M., Waterfall, L. et al. Adaptive response of equine intestinal Na+/glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) to an increase in dietary soluble carbohydrate. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 458, 419–430 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-008-0620-4

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