Immunonutrition enhances the expression and secretion of mouse intestinal defensins

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Abstract
We hypothesised that a nutrient enriched diet bolsters the immune system by upregulating defensin expression in the jejunum and ileum, the two parts where cryptdins (mouse intestinal defensins) are highly expressed. To study the effect of an immune enhancing diet (Perative; Ross Products, Abbott Laboratories, USA) on intestinal defensin expression, we used mice fed either regular chow or Perative for a week. The volume of Perative (complete balanced nutrition containing partially hydrolysed peptide based high protein (sodium caseinate, lactalbumin, 66.7 g/l), arginine at 2.5% of total calories, dietary nucleotides, canola oil, medium chain triglyceride oil, corn oil, soy lecithin, vitamins, minerals, fructooligosaccharides, lactose, gluten, and growth factor free) consumed by the mice was similar throughout the week (15 ml/day). Body weight did not differ between the Perative fed and chow fed groups. Northern blot analysis6 of total RNA extracted from the jejunum and ileum, using an oligo probe specific to cryptdin 1, cryptdin 2, and cryptdin 3 (>93% nucleotide identity), or cryptdin 4, revealed that levels of cryptdins 1–3 (fig 1A) and cryptdin 4 (fig 1B) increased by 1.6-fold (Student’s t test, p<0.05).