Stephanie Hansen, Weber State University
Zoology
Re-feeding syndrome is the result of the rapid re-introduction of nutrients following a period of severe malnourishment or starvation. During starvation, critical nutrient absorption and anabolic pathways are shifted to conserve energy and maintain cellular function in intestinal enterocytes. Rapid reintroduction of nutrients can often overwhelm the remnant absorptive ability of the intestinal tract, leading to complications such as, failure to thrive and intestinal failure. We hypothesized that a polymeric diet would improve refeeding response compared to an elemental diet. We utilized the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) as a minimalist model of refeeding. We induced a developmental state of starvation known as, dauer, and then transferred animals into either a polymeric diet or elemental diet. We measured body length daily for 5 days until the worms reached adulthood. Data were statistically analyzed using a general linear model of analysis of variance and expressed as mean+/-SEM. Our results indicate that polymeric diet (695.6+/-25.2 ?m) demonstrated at least 10% (p<0.05) improved growth compared to elemental diet (646.8+/-21.7), with polymeric worms reaching adulthood by day 2 (960.2+/-26.9), whereas elemental animals required 3 days to reach adulthood (894.2+/-26.9 day 2, 972.6+/-27 day 3). Additionally, we assayed intestinal proteolysis by feeding the worms green fluorescent protein (GFP) and measuring fluorescence along the length of the intestinal tract. Our findings demonstrate a decreased rate (p<0.05) of intestinal proteolysis among worms fed exclusively a polymeric diet, despite no significant change in the rate of fluorescent protein intake. Our data confirm our hypothesis that a polymeric diet improves growth and development over an elemental diet. In addition, by requiring some hydrolytic digestion, growth is improved. These results might help to improve clinical management of refeeding syndrome as well as rehabilitate patients suffering intestinal failure.