Glutamine and cystine-enriched diets modulate aquaporins gene expression in the small intestine of piglets

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 1; p. e0245739
• Main Authors: Vieira da Silva, Inês, P Soares, Bárbara, Pimpão, Catarina, M A Pinto, Rui, Costa, Teresa, Freire, João P B, Corrent, Etienne, Chalvon-Demersay, Tristan, Prates, José A M, Lopes, Paula A, Soveral, Graça
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 19.01.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; AKT protein; Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Alkaline phosphatase; Amino acids; Aquaporins; Aspartate aminotransferase; Biology and Life Sciences; Cholesterol; Creatinine; Cystine; Diagnostic systems; Diet; Dietary supplements; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Glutamine; Glycerol; Glycerol kinase; High density lipoprotein; Hogs; Ileum; Intestine; Intestine, Small; Kinases; Low density lipoprotein; Medicine and Health Sciences; Membrane permeability; Metabolism; Modular systems; Nutrition research; Permeability; Phospholipids; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Physiological research; Proteins; Rapamycin; Small intestine; TOR protein; Transcription; Triglycerides; Urea; Portugal; France; United States > US; Europe; Germany
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245739

The regulation of glycerol permeability in the gastrointestinal tract is crucial to control fat deposition, lipolysis and gluconeogenesis. Knowing that the amino acid glutamine is a physiological regulator of gluconeogenesis, whereas cystine promotes adiposity, herein we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with glutamine and cystine on the serum biochemical parameters of piglets fed on amino acid-enriched diets, as well as on the transcriptional profile of membrane water and glycerol channels aquaporins (AQPs) in the ileum portion of the small intestine and its impact on intestinal permeability. Twenty male piglets with an initial body weight of 8.8 ± 0.89 kg were allocated to four dietary treatments (n = 5) and received, during a four week-period, a basal diet without supplementation (control) or supplemented with 8 kg/ton of glutamine (Gln), cystine (Cys) or the combination of the two amino acids in equal proportions (Gln + Cys). Most biochemical parameters were found improved in piglets fed Gln and Cys diet. mRNA levels of AQP3 were found predominant over the others. Both amino acids, individually or combined, were responsible for a consistent downregulation of AQP1, AQP7 and AQP10, without impacting on water permeability. Conversely, Cys enriched diet upregulated AQP3 enhancing basolateral membranes glycerol permeability and downregulating glycerol kinase (GK) of intestinal cells. Altogether, our data reveal that amino acids dietary supplementation can modulate intestinal AQPs expression and unveil AQP3 as a promising target for adipogenesis regulation.