Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:47:48.808Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Protein nutrition of the neonate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

Peter J. Reeds ,
Douglas G. Burrin ,
Teresa A. Davis ,
Marta L. Fiorotto ,
Barbara Stoll  and
Johannes B. van Goudoever
Peter J. Reeds*
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Douglas G. Burrin
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Teresa A. Davis
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Marta L. Fiorotto
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Barbara Stoll
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Johannes B. van Goudoever
Affiliation:
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Professor Peter J. Reeds, fax +1 713 798 7171, email preeds@bcm.tmc.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The period of growth and development between birth and weaning is crucial for the long-term well-being of the organism. Protein deposition is very rapid, is achieved with a high nutritional efficiency, and is accompanied by marked differences in the growth rates of individual tissues and a series of maturational processes. These important aspects of development occur while the neonate is consuming a single and highly-specific food source, milk. Surprisingly, although there is a clear relationship between the nutrient density of milk and the growth rate of its recipient, this relationship does not apply to the overall amino acid composition of mixed milk proteins. Some amino acids, notably glycine and arginine, are supplied in milk in quantities that are much less than the needs of the neonate. The milk-fed neonate is therefore capable of carrying out a tightly-regulated transfer of N from amino acids in excess to those that are deficient. The rapid growth of the neonate is supported by a high rate of tissue protein synthesis. This process appears to be activated by the consumption of the first meals of colostrum. Recent research has identified that skeletal muscle and the brain are specifically responsive to an unidentified factor in colostrum. Following the initial anabolic response the rate of protein synthesis in some tissues, notably muscle, falls from birth to weaning. This decrease reflects a progressively smaller anabolic response to nutrient intake, which not only involves an overall fall in the capacity for protein synthesis, but also in responses to insulin and amino acids. The study of growth and protein metabolism, and their regulation in the neonate is not only important for pediatrics, but may provide important pointers to more general aspects of regulation that could be applied to the nutrition of the mature animal.

Keywords

NeonateMilk compositionAmino acidProtein synthesisInsulin
Type
Plenary Lecture
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , February 2000 , pp. 87 - 97
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2000

References

Anderson, LL, Hard, DL, Trenkle, AH & Cho, SJ (1999) Long-term growth after hypophyseal stalk transection and hypophysectomy of beef calves. Endocrinology 140, 2405–2414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Attaix, D, Aurousseau, E, Manghebati, A & Arnal, M (1988) Contribution of liver, skin and skeletal muscle to whole-body protein synthesis in the young lamb. British Journal of Nutrition 60, 77–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beaufrere, B, Fournier, V, Salle, B & Putet, G (1992) Leucine kinetics in fed low-birth-weight infants: importance of splanchnic tissues. American Journal of Physiology 263, E214–E220.Google ScholarPubMed
Berthold, HK, Crain, PF, Gouni, I, Reeds, PJ & Klein, PD (1995) Evidence for incorporation of intact dietary pyrimidine (but not purine) nucleosides into RNA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 92, 10123–10127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blachier, F, M'Rabet-Touil, H, Posho, L, Darcy-Vrillon, B & Duee, PH (1993) Intestinal arginine metabolism during development. Evidence for de novo synthesis of L-arginine in newborn pig enterocytes. European Journal of Biochemistry 216, 109–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boza, JJ, Jahoor, F & Reeds, PJ (1996) Ribonucleic acid nucleotides in maternal and fetal tissues derive almost exclusively from synthesis de novo in pregnant mice. Journal of Nutrition 126, 1749–1758.Google ScholarPubMed
Burrin, DG, Davis, TA, Ebner, S, Schoknecht, PA, Fiorotto, ML & Reeds, PJ (1997a) Colostrum enhances the nutritional stimulation of vital organ protein synthesis in neonatal pigs. Journal of Nutrition 127, 1284–1289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burrin, DG, Davis, TA, Ebner, S, Schoknecht, PA, Fiorotto, ML, Reeds, PJ & McAvoy, S (1995) Nutrient-independent and nutrient-dependent factors stimulate protein synthesis in colostrum-fed newborn pigs. Pediatric Research 37, 593–599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burrin, DG, Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML & Reeds, PJ (1991) Stage of development and fasting affect protein synthetic activity in the gastrointestinal tissues of suckling rats. Journal of Nutrition 121, 1099–1108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burrin, DG, Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML & Reeds, PJ (1992) Hepatic protein synthesis in suckling rats: effects of stage of development and fasting. Pediatric Research 31, 247–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burrin, DG, Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML & Reeds, PJ (1997b) Role of milk-borne vs endogenous insulin-like growth factor in neonatal growth. Journal of Animal Science 75, 2739–2743.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Darmaun, D, Roig, JC, Auestad, N, Sager, BK & Neu, J (1997) Glutamine metabolism in very low birth weight infants. Pediatric Research 41, 391–396.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Burrin, DG, Fiorotto, ML & Nguyen, HV (1996) Protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and jejunum is more responsive to feeding in 7- than in 26-day-old pigs. American Journal of Physiology 270, E802–E809.Google ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML, Nguyen, HV, Burrin, DG & Reeds, PJ (1991) Response of muscle protein synthesis to fasting in suckling and weaned rats. American Journal of Physiology 261, R1373–R1380.Google ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML, Nguyen, HV & Reeds, PJ (1989) Protein turnover in skeletal muscle of suckling rats. American Journal of Physiology 257, R1141–R1146.Google ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Fiorotto, ML & Reeds, PJ (1993) Amino acid compositions of body and milk protein change during the suckling period in rats. Journal of Nutrition 123, 947–956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Nguyen, HV, Costa, DP & Reeds, PJ (1995) Amino acid composition of pinniped milk. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 110B, 633–639.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, TA, Nguyen, HV, Garcia-Bravo, R, Fiorotto, ML, Jackson, EM, Lewis, DS, Lee, DR & Reeds, PJ (1994) Amino acid composition of human milk is not unique. Journal of Nutrition 124, 1126–1132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Benoist, B, Abdulrazzak, Y, Brooke, OG, Halliday, D & Millward, DJ (1984) The measurement of whole body protein turnover in the preterm infant with intragastric infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine and sampling of the urinary leucine pool. Clinical Science 66, 155–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Denne, SC, Karn, CA & Liechty, EA (1992) Leucine kinetics after a brief fast and in response to feeding in premature infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, 899–904.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Denne, SC, Karn, CA, Liu, YM, Leitch, CA & Liechty, EA (1994) Effect of enteral versus parenteral feeding on leucine kinetics and fuel utilization in premature newborns. Pediatric Research 36, 429–435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Denne, SC, Karn, CA, Wang, J & Liechty, EA (1995) Effect of intravenous glucose and lipid on proteolysis and glucose production in normal newborns. American Journal of Physiology 269, E361–E367.Google ScholarPubMed
Denne, SC, Rossi, EM & Kalhan, SC (1991) Leucine kinetics during feeding in normal newborns. Pediatric Research 30, 23–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dewey, KG, Beaton, G, Fjeld, C, Lonnerdal, B & Reeds, P (1996) Protein requirements of infants and children. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, Suppl 1., S119–S147.Google ScholarPubMed
Dourmad, JY, Noblet, J & Etienne, M (1998) Effect of protein and lysine supply on performance, nitrogen balance, and body composition changes of sows during lactation. Journal of Animal Science 76, 542–550.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fiorotto, ML, Burrin, DG, Perez, M & Reeds, PJ (1991) Intake and use of milk nutrients by rat pups suckled in small, medium, or large litters. American Journal of Physiology 260, R1104–R1113.Google ScholarPubMed
Fiorotto, ML, Davis, TA, Czerwinski, SM, Reeds, PJ & Burrin, DG (1995) Colostrum stimulates myofibrillar protein synthesis in newborn pigs. FASEB Journal 9, A580.Google Scholar
Francis, GL, Upton, FM, Ballard, FJ, McNeil, KA & Wallace, JC (1988) Insulin like growth factors 1 and 2 in bovine colostrum. Biochemical Journal 251, 95–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuller, MF, McWilliam, R, Wang, TC & Giles, LR (1989) The optimum dietary amino acid pattern for growing pigs. 2. Requirements for maintenance and for tissue protein accretion. British Journal of Nutrition 62, 255–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garlick, PJ, Fern, M, Preedy, VR (1983) The effect of insulin infusion and food intake on muscle protein synthesis in postabsorptive rats. Biochemical Journal 210, 669–676.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldspink, DF & Kelly, FJ (1984) Protein turnover and growth in the whole body, liver and kidney of the rat from the foetus to senility. Biochemical Journal 217, 507–516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldspink, DF, Lewis, SE & Kelly, FJ (1984) Protein synthesis during the developmental growth of the small and large intestine of the rat. Biochemical Journal 217, 527–534.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenwood, PL, Hunt, AS, Hermanson, JW & Bell, AW (1998) Effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on neonatal sheep: I. Body growth and composition, and some aspects of energetic efficiency. Journal of Animal Science 76, 2354–2367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harris, PM, Skene, PA, Buchan, V, Milne, E, Calder, AG, Anderson, SE, Connell, A & Lobley, GE (1992) Effect of food intake on hind-limb and whole-body protein metabolism in young growing sheep: chronic studies based on arterio-venous techniques. British Journal of Nutrition 68, 389–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jackson, AA, Shaw, JC, Barber, A & Golden, MH (1981) Nitrogen metabolism in preterm infants fed human donor breast milk: the possible essentiality of glycine. Pediatric Research 15, 1454–1461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kandil, H, Darwish, O, Hammad, S, Zagloul, N, Halliday, D & Millward, J (1991) Nitrogen balance and protein turnover during the growth failure in newly born low-birth-weight infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 1411–1417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klagsbrun, M (1978) Human milk stimulates DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation in cultured fibroblasts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 75, 5057–5061.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, SE, Kelly, FJ & Goldspink, DF (1984) Pre- and post-natal growth and protein turnover in smooth muscle, heart and slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscles of the rat. Biochemical Journal 217, 517–526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McMeekan, CP (1940) Growth and development of the pig, with special reference to carcass quality characteristics. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 30, 276–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacRae, JC, Skene, PA, Connell, A, Buchan, V & Lobley, GE (1988) The action of the beta-agonist clenbuterol on protein and energy metabolism in fattening wether lambs. British Journal of Nutrition 59, 457–465.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macy, IG (1949) Composition of human colostrum and milk. American Journal of Diseases of Childhood 78, 589–603.Google ScholarPubMed
Mahan, DC & Shields RG, Jr (1998) Essential and nonessential amino acid composition of pigs from birth to 145 kilograms of body weight, and comparison to other studies. Journal of Animal Science 76, 513–521.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, RG, Keshen, TH, Jahoor, F, Shew, SB & Jaksic, T (1996) Compartmentation of endogenously synthesized amino acids in neonates. Journal of Surgical Research 63, 199–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Motil, KJ, Harmon, WE & Grupe, WE (1980) Complications of essential amino acid hyperalimentation in children with acute renal failure. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 4, 32–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neame, KB & Wiseman, G (1957) The transamination of glutamic and aspartic acids during absorption by the small intestine of the dog in vivo. Journal of Physiology 135, 442–450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newburg, DS (1997) Do the binding properties of oligosaccharides in milk protect human infants from gastrointestinal bacteria? Journal of Nutrition 127, 980S–984S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Odle, J, Zijlstra, RT & Donovan, SM (1996) Intestinal effects of milkborne growth factors in neonates of agricultural importance. Journal of Animal Science 74, 2509–2522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patureau-Mirand, P, Mosoni, L, Levieux, D, Attaix, D, Bayle, G & Bonnet, Y (1990) Effect of colostrum feeding on protein metabolism in the small intestine of newborn lambs. Biology of the Neonate 57, 30–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pell, JM, Caldarone, EM & Bergman, EN (1986) Leucine and a-ketoisocaproate metabolism and interconversion in fed and fasted sheep. Metabolism 35, 1005–1016.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perez, JF & Reeds, PJ (1998) A novel stable isotopic approach enables the simultaneous determination of protein and RNA synthesis in vivo. Journal of Nutrition 128, 1562–1569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rassin, DK, Sturman, JA & Guall, GE (1978) Taurine and other free amino acids in milk of man and other mammals. Early Human Development 2, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reeds, PJ & Beckett, P (1996) Protein and amino acids. In Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 7th ed., pp. 67–86 [E, Zeigler and J, Filer, editors]. Washington, DC: ILSI Press.Google Scholar
Reeds, PJ, Burrin, DG, Jahoor, F, Wykes, L, Henry, J & Frazer, EM (1996) Enteral glutamate is almost completely metabolized in first pass by the Gl tract of infant pigs. American Journal of Physiology 270, E413–E418.Google Scholar
Reeds, PJ, Cadenhead, A, Fuller, MF, Lobley, GE & McDonald, JD (1980) Protein turnover in growing pigs. Effects of age and food intake. British Journal of Nutrition 43, 445–455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Romain, N, Dandrifosse, G, Jeusette, F & Forget, P (1992) Polyamine concentration in rat milk and food, human milk and infant formulas. Pediatric Research 32, 58–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, RJ & Leigh, SR (1998) Sexual dimorphism in primate neonatal body mass. Journal of Human Development 34, 173–201.Google ScholarPubMed
Snell, K & Walker, DG (1974) Regulation of hepatic L-serine dehydratase and L-serine-pyruvate aminotransferase in the developing neonatal rat. Biochemical Journal 144, 519–531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stoll, B, Burrin, DG, Henry, J, Yu, H, Jahoor, F & Reeds, PJ (1999) Substrate oxidation by the portal drained viscera of fed piglets. American Journal of Physiology 277, 168–175.Google ScholarPubMed
Sugawara, M, Nakano, T, Idota, T & Nakajima, I (1995) Profile of nucleotides and nucleosides of human milk. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 41, 409–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uauy, R, Quan, R & Gil, A (1994) A role of nucleotides in intestinal development and repair: implications for infant nutrition. Journal of Nutrition 124, 1436S–1441S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van, Goudoever JB, Sulkers, EJ, Halliday, D, Degenhart, HJ, Carnielli, VP, Wattimena, JL & Sauer, PJ (1995) Whole-body protein turnover in preterm appropriate for gestational age and small for gestational age infants: comparison of [15N]glycine and [1-(13)C]leucine administered simultaneously. Pediatric Research 37, 381–388.Google Scholar
Wakabayashi, YE, Yamada, T, Yoshida, T & Takahashi, N (1995) Effect of intestinal resection and arginine-free diet on rat physiology. American Journal of Physiology 269, G313–G318.Google ScholarPubMed
Windmueller, H & Spaeth, AE (1980) Respiratory fuels and nitrogen metabolism in vivo in small intestine of fed rats. Quantitative importance of glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate. Journal of Biological Chemistry 255, 107–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wray-Cahen, D, Beckett, PR, Nguyen, HV & Davis, TA (1997) Insulin-stimulated amino acid utilization during glucose and amino acid clamps decreases with development. American Journal of Physiology 273, E305–E314.Google ScholarPubMed
Wray-Cahen, D, Nguyen, HV, Burrin, DG, Beckett, PR, Fiorotto, ML, Reeds, PJ, Wester, TJ & Davis, TA (1998) Response of skeletal muscle protein synthesis to insulin in suckling pigs decreases with development. American Journal of Physiology 275, E602–E609.Google ScholarPubMed
Wu, G, Davis, PK, Flynn, NE, Knabe, DA & Davidson, JT (1997) Endogenous synthesis of arginine plays an important role in maintaining arginine homeostasis in post weaning growing pigs. Journal of Nutrition 127, 2342–2349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, G & Knabe, DA (1995) Arginine synthesis in enterocytes of neonatal pigs. American Journal of Physiology 269, R621–R629.Google ScholarPubMed
Wu, G, Ott, TL, Knabe, DA & Bazer, FW (1999) Amino acid composition of the fetal pig. Journal of Nutrition 129, 1031–1038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed