Effects of prebiotic supplementation on the expression of proteins regulating iron absorption in anaemic growing rats.

Prebiotics may increase intestinal Fe absorption in anaemic growing rats. The present study evaluated the effects of high-performance (HP) inulin and oligofructose on factors that regulate Fe absorption in anaemic rats during the growth phase. Male Wistar rats aged 21 d of age were fed AIN-93G ration without Fe for 2 weeks to induce Fe-deficiency anaemia. The rats were fed on day 35 a control diet, or a diet with 10% HP inulin, or a diet with 10% oligofructose, without Fe supplementation. The animals were euthanised after 2 weeks, and segments of the duodenum, caecum, colon and liver were removed. The expression levels of proteins in the intestinal segments were assessed using Western blotting. The levels of serum, urine and liver hepcidin and the concentrations of IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the caecum, colon and liver were measured using the ELISA test. HP inulin increased the expression of the divalent metal transporter 1 protein in the caecum by 162% (P=0.04), and the expression of duodenal cytochrome b reductase in the colon by 136% (P=0.02). Oligofructose decreased the expression of the protein ferroportin in the duodenum (P=0.02), the concentrations of IL-10 (P=0.044), IL-6 (P=0.036) and TNF-alpha (P=0.004) in the caecum, as well as the level of urinary hepcidin (P < 0.001). These results indicate that prebiotics may interfere with the expression of various intestinal proteins and systemic factors involved in the regulation of intestinal Fe absorption in anaemic rats during the growth phase.