The expression of amino acid transporters in small intestine epithelia of human newborns has not been studied yet. It is further not known whether the maturation of imino acid (proline) transport is delayed as in the kidney proximal tubule. The possibility to obtain small intestinal tissue from patients undergoing surgery for jejunal or ileal atresia during their first days after birth was used to address these questions. As control, adult terminal ileum tissue was sampled during routine endoscopies. Gene expression of luminal imino and amino acid transporter SIT1 (SLC6A20) was approximately threefold lower in newborns versus adults. mRNA levels of all other luminal and basolateral amino acid transporters and accessory proteins tested were similar in newborn mucosa compared with adults. At the protein level, the major luminal neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1 (SLC6A19) and its accessory protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 were shown by immunofluorescence to be expressed similarly in newborns and in adults. SIT1 protein was not detectable in the small intestine of human newborns, in contrast to adults. The morphology of newborn intestinal mucosa proximal and distal to the obstruction was generally normal, but a decreased proliferation rate was visualized distally of the atresia by lower levels of the mitosis marker Ki-67. The mRNA level of the 13 tested amino acid transporters and accessory proteins was nonetheless similar, suggesting that the intestinal obstruction and interruption of amniotic fluid passage through the small intestinal lumen did not affect amino acid transporter expression. NEW & NOTEWORTHY System IMINO transporter SIT1 is not expressed in the small intestine of human newborns. This new finding resembles the situation in the proximal kidney tubule leading to iminoglycinuria. Lack of amniotic fluid passage in small intestinal atresia does not affect amino acid transporter expression distal to intestinal occlusion.
Keywords: SIT1; amino acid transporter; expression; intestinal atresia.