Browsing by Author "Piccolo, Brian D."

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    Evaluation of a Plant-Based Infant Formula Containing Almonds and Buckwheat on Gut Microbiota Composition, Intestine Morphology, Metabolic and Immune Markers in a Neonatal Piglet Model
    Gurung, Manoj; Rosa, Fernanda; Yelvington, Brooke; Terry, Nathan; Read, Quentin D.; Piccolo, Brian D.; Moody, Becky; Tripp, Patricia; Pittman, Hoy E.; Fay, Bobby L.; Ross, Talyor J.; Sikes, James D.; Flowers, Jessica B.; Fox, Renee; LeRoith, Tanya; Talatala, Rachelanne; Bar-Yoseph, Fabiana; Yeruva, Laxmi (MDPI, 2023-01-12)
    A controlled-neonatal piglet trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of a plant-based infant formula containing buckwheat and almonds as the main source of protein compared to a commercially available dairy-based formula on the gut health parameters. Two day old piglets were fed either a plant-based or a dairy-based formula until day 21. Gut microbiome, cytokines, growth and metabolism related outcomes, and intestinal morphology were evaluated to determine the safety of the plant-based infant formula. This study reported that the plant-based formula-fed piglets had a similar intestinal microbiota composition relative to the dairy-based formula-fed group. However, differential abundance of specific microbiota species was detected within each diet group in the small and large intestinal regions and fecal samples. Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus crispatus, and Fusobacterium sp. had higher abundance in the small intestine of plant-based formula-fed piglets compared to the dairy-based group. Bacteroides nordii, Enterococcus sp., Lactobacillus crispatus, Prevotella sp., Ruminococcus lactaris, Bacteroides nordii, Eisenbergiella sp., Lactobacillus crispatus, Prevotella sp., and Akkermansia muciniphila had greater abundance in the large intestine of the plant based diet fed piglets relative to the dairy-based diet group. In the feces, Clostridiales, Bacteroides uniformis, Butyricimonasvirosa, Cloacibacillus porcorum, Clostridium clostridioforme, and Fusobacterium sp. were abundant in dairy-based group relative to the plant-based group. Lachnospiraceae, Clostridium scindens, Lactobacillus coleohominis, and Prevetolla sp. had greater abundance in the feces of the plant-based group in comparison to the dairy-based group. Gut morphology was similar between the plant and the dairy-based formula-fed piglets. Circulatory cytokines, magnesium, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), vitamin D, vitamin K, and IgE levels were similar among all piglets independent of dietary group. Overall, the present study demonstrated that a plant-based formula with buckwheat and almonds as the primary source of protein can support similar gut microbiota growth and health outcomes compared to a dairy-based infant formula.
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    Formula diet driven microbiota shifts tryptophan metabolism from serotonin to tryptamine in neonatal porcine colon
    Saraf, Manish K.; Piccolo, Brian D.; Bowlin, Anne K.; Mercer, Kelly E.; LeRoith, Tanya; Chintapalli, Sree V..; Shankar, Kartik; Badger, Thomas M.; Yeruva, Laxmi (2017-07-14)
    Background The gut microbiota of breast-fed and formula-fed infants differ significantly, as do the risks for allergies, gut dysfunction, and upper respiratory tract infections. The connections between breast milk, various formulas, and the profiles of gut bacteria to these childhood illnesses, as well as the mechanisms underlying the effects, are not well understood. Methods We investigated distal colon microbiota by 16S RNA amplicon sequencing, morphology by histomorphometry, immune response by cytokine expression, and tryptophan metabolism in a pig model in which piglets were sow-fed, or fed soy or dairy milk-based formula from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 21. Results Formula feeding significantly (p < 0.05) altered the colon microbiota relative to the sow feeding. A significant reduction in microbial diversity was noted with formula groups in comparison to sow-fed. Streptococcus, Blautia, Citrobacter, Butrycimonas, Parabacteroides, Lactococcus genera were increased with formula feeding relative to sow feeding. In addition, relative to sow feeding, Anaerotruncus, Akkermansia, Enterococcus, Acinetobacter, Christensenella, and Holdemania were increased in milk-fed piglets, and Biliophila, Ruminococcus, Clostridium were increased in soy-fed piglets. No significant gut morphological changes were noted. However, higher cytokine mRNA expression (BMP4, CCL11, CCL21) was observed in the distal colon of formula groups. Formula feeding reduced enterochromaffin cell number and serotonin, but increased tryptamine levels relative to sow feeding. Conclusions Our data confirm that formula diet alters the colon microbiota and appears to shift tryptophan metabolism from serotonin to tryptamine, which may lead to greater histamine levels and risk of allergies in infants.
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    Progression of diabetes is associated with changes in the ileal transcriptome and ileal-colon morphology in the UC Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus rat
    Piccolo, Brian D.; Graham, James L.; Kang, Ping; Randolph, Christopher E.; Shankar, Kartik; Yeruva, Laxmi; Fox, Renee; Robeson, Michael S.; Moody, Becky; LeRoith, Tanya; Stanhope, Kimber L.; Adams, Sean H.; Havel, Peter J. (Wiley, 2021-11-01)
    Deterioration in glucose homeostasis has been associated with intestinal dysbiosis, but it is not known how metabolic dysregulation alters the gastrointestinal environment. We investigated how the progression of diabetes alters ileal and colonic epithelial mucosal structure, microbial abundance, and transcript expression in the University of California Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model. Male UCD-T2DM rats (age ~170 days) were included if <1-month (n = 6, D1M) or 3-month (n = 6, D3M) post-onset of diabetes. Younger nondiabetic UCD-T2DM rats were included as a nondiabetic comparison (n = 6, ND, age ~70 days). Ileum villi height/crypt depths and colon crypt depths were assessed by histology. Microbial abundance of colon content was measured with 16S rRNA sequencing. Ileum and colon transcriptional abundances were analyzed using RNA sequencing. Ileum villi height and crypt depth were greater in D3M rats compared to ND. Colon crypt depth was greatest in D3M rats compared to both ND and D1M rats. Colon abundances of Akkermansia and Muribaculaceae were lower in D3M rats relative to D1M, while Oscillospirales, Phascolarctobacterium, and an unidentified genus of Lachnospiraceae were higher. Only two transcripts were altered by diabetes advancement within the colon; however, 2039 ileal transcripts were altered. Only colonic abundances of Sptlc3, Enpp7, Slc7a15, and Kctd14 had more than twofold changes between D1M and D3M rats. The advancement of diabetes in the UCD-T2DM rat results in a trophic effect on the mucosal epithelia and was associated with regulation of gastrointestinal tract RNA expression, which appears more pronounced in the ileum relative to the colon.