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. 1999 Mar;44(3):394–399. doi: 10.1136/gut.44.3.394

Modulation of distal colonic epithelial barrier function by dietary fibre in normal rats

J Mariadason 1, A Catto-Smith 1, P Gibson 1
PMCID: PMC1727405  PMID: 10026327

Abstract

BACKGROUND—Dietary fibre influences the turnover and differentiation of the colonic epithelium, but its effects on barrier function are unknown. 
AIMS—To determine whether altering the type and amount of fibre in the diet affects paracellular permeability of intestinal epithelium, and to identify the mechanisms of action. 
METHODS—Rats were fed isoenergetic low fibre diets with or without supplements of wheat bran (10%) or methylcellulose (10%), for four weeks. Paracellular permeability was determined by measurement of conductance and 51Cr-EDTA flux across tissue mounted in Ussing chambers. Faecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were assessed by gas chromatography, epithelial kinetics stathmokinetically, and mucosal brush border hydrolase activities spectrophotometrically. 
RESULTS—Body weight was similar across the dietary groups. Conductance and 51Cr-EDTA flux were approximately 25% higher in animals fed no fibre, compared with those fed wheat bran or methylcellulose in the distal colon, but not in the caecum or jejunum. Histologically, there was no evidence of epithelial injury or erosion associated with any diet. The fibres exerted different spectra of effects on luminal SCFA concentrations and pH, and on mucosal indexes, but both bulked the faeces, were trophic to the epithelium, and stimulated expression of a marker of epithelial differentiation. 
CONCLUSIONS—Both a fermentable and a non-fermentable fibre reduce paracellular permeability specifically in the distal colon, possibly by promoting epithelial cell differentiation. The mechanisms by which the two fibres exert their effects are likely to be different. 



Keywords: colon; differentiation; epithelium; fibre; paracellular permeability; proliferation

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Figure 1 .

Figure 1

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Effect of diet on transepithelial conductance in rat intestine. Data are expressed as mean (SEM) from 12 animals. ANOVA of area under the curve summary measures showed a significant difference across the dietary groups (p<0.001) for the distal colon only and, on multiple comparisons, wheat bran and methylcellulose groups were significantly different to the no fibre group (p<0.01). 


Figure 2 .

Figure 2

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Effect of diet on the flux of 51Cr-EDTA across distal colon, caecum, and jejunum mounted in Ussing chambers. The diets contained no fibre, wheat bran, or methylcellulose. For the distal colon only, differences were statistically significant across the dietary groups (p=0.004; ANOVA). EDTA flux in the wheat bran and methylcellulose groups was significantly different to that in the no fibre group on multiple comparisons (p<0.05). 


Figure 3 .

Figure 3

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Effect of diet on brush border hydrolase activities of distal colonic mucosa. The diets contained no fibre, wheat bran, or methylcellulose. Alkaline phosphatase and dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPPIV) activities differed significantly across the dietary groups (p<0.001 and p<0.05 respectively, ANOVA). Alkaline phosphatase activity in the methylcellulose group and DPPIV activity in the wheat bran group were significantly different to those in the other groups on multiple comparisons (p<0.05). 


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