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Analysis of the urinary glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide content in the study of the lactose-[15N, 15N]-ureide metabolism in healthy humans

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 65, pages 959–964 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Lactose-[15N, 15N]-ureide is used to study the fate of the colonic urea-nitrogen metabolism. During the passage through the gastrointestinal tract, lactose ureide is hydrolysed to glucose ureide, which is absorbed to a limited extent from the small intestine and is excreted urinarily. In the present study, a procedure has been developed to quantify the urinary excretion of glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide. In addition, urine and faecal samples obtained during a dietary intervention study with the prebiotic lactulose were retrospectively analysed.

Subjects/Methods:

The glucose ureide and lactose ureide content was measured by GC–MS in 19 healthy volunteers. After consumption of a standard test meal containing 75 mg lactose-[15N, 15N]-ureide, six healthy volunteers performed a fractionated 24 h urine collection to investigate the urinary excretion of glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide. In 13 volunteers, the effect of lactulose administration on the urinary excretion of glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide was analysed.

Results:

The urinary excretion of glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide reached its maximum level in the 3–6 h urine collection and decreased in the 6–9 h urine. The label was still detectable in the 9–24 h urine collection. The cumulative excretion of 15N-labelled glucose ureide after 24 h amounted 12.91%. No significant differences in glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide excretion were found in either of the urine fractions after administration of lactulose, compared with baseline. In none of the urine samples lactose-[15N, 15N]-ureide was detected.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, the results obtained in the present study indicated that the percentage dose glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide recovered in urine is rather constant and not influenced by the presence of lactulose.

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Acknowledgements

VDP is a postdoctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen, Belgium).

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  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Research and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), University Hospital Gasthuisberg, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    V De Preter, E Houben, K Windey, A Luypaerts & K Verbeke

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  1. V De Preter
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  2. E Houben
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  3. K Windey
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  4. A Luypaerts
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  5. K Verbeke
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Correspondence to K Verbeke.

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De Preter, V., Houben, E., Windey, K. et al. Analysis of the urinary glucose-[15N, 15N]-ureide content in the study of the lactose-[15N, 15N]-ureide metabolism in healthy humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 65, 959–964 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.63

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