The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism for the improvement of glucose tolerance following intake of high β-glucan barley (HGB) in terms of intestinal metabolism. C57BL/6J male mice were fed a fatty diet supplemented with HGB corresponding to 5% of dietary fiber for 83 days. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed at the end of the experimental period. The concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum was analyzed by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). The mRNA expression levels related to L cell function in the ileum were measured by real-time PCR. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels in the portal vein and cecal content were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. GLP-1-producing L cells of the ileum were quantified by immunohistochemistry. HGB intake improved glucose tolerance and increased the cecal levels of SCFAs, acetate, and propionate. The number of GLP-1-positive L cells in the HGB group was significantly higher than in the control group. GLP-1 levels in the portal vein and cecal GLP-1 pool size in the HGB group were significantly higher than the control group. In conclusion, we report improved glucose tolerance after HGB intake induced by an increase in L cell number and subsequent rise in GLP-1 secretion.
Keywords: L cell; barley; glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1); glucose tolerance; β-glucan.