Total parenteral-nutrition-mediated dendritic-cell activation and infiltration into the small intestine in a rat model.

PURPOSE: Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is commonly carried out in the clinical setting. However, effects of TPN on the immune system, including dendritic cells (DC), are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TPN affects DC activation and infiltration into the intestinal barrier.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were given conventional nutrition (CN) or TPN for 7 days. DCs were visualized by immunohistochemistry. Levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein 2 (NOD2) and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein were assessed by Western blot.

RESULTS

The number of DCs at the small intestinal barrier was significantly increased in the TPN group (9.2 ± 3.1 cells/microscopic field) compared with the CN group (0.5 ± 0.6 cells/microscopic field; p < 0.05), as were protein expression levels of NOD2 and HMGB1.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that TPN increases activation and infiltration of DCs into the small intestine, potentially involving an increase in NOD2 and HMGB1 levels in the small intestine.