Posted 6/11/2014 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Relevant?
The essential amino acid L-lysine was demonstrated to have a selective impact on food intake, gastric emptying, and intestinal transit in rats, thus indicating a potential novel direct sensory input to assess dietary protein content and quality. The aim of this study was to assess translational aspects of this finding and to investigate the dose-dependent effect of L-lysine on human and rat GI function.
Methods
L-lysine doses from 0–800 mg in rats and 0.5–7.5 g in humans were analyzed for their effect on gastric emptying and GI secretion. Human GI function was assessed non-invasively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), rat data were acquired using standard lethal measurement methods. L-lysine dose dependently delayed gastric emptying and stimulated GI secretion in rats as reflected by residual phenol red content and increased gastric wet weight.
Key Results
The dose-dependent delay in gastric emptying observed in rats was confirmed in humans with an increase in halftime of gastric emptying of 4 min/g L-lysine, p < 0.01. Moreover, a dose-dependent increase in intestinal fluid accumulation was observed (0.4 mL/min/g L-lysine, p < 0.0001). No effect on alkaline tide, glucose concentration, hematocrit, or visceral sensations was detected.
Conclusions & Inferences
This translational study demonstrates comparable dose-dependent effects of intragastric L-lysine on GI function in humans and rats and suggests a broader role for individual amino acids in the control of GI motility and secretion in vivo.
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nmo.12354/abstract