High-viscosity carboxymethylcellulose reduces carbachol-stimulated intestinal chloride secretion in weaned piglets fed a diet based on skimmed milk powder and maltodextrin.

High-viscosity carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) promotes gastrointestinal disorders, tissue alterations and bacterial overgrowth in pigs. The impact of CMC on intestinal absorptive and secretory physiology is not known. We hypothesised that CMC consumption alters intestinal Na-dependent glucose absorption and stimulates electrogenic chloride secretion. For testing this hypothesis, twenty-four piglets were weaned at 21 d of age and pair-fed for 13 d a starter diet based on skimmed milk powder and maltodextrin containing cellulose (control) or CMC. Body weight and faecal total aerobe and coliform counts were measured kinetically. At slaughter, digesta were weighed and characterised for viscosity and pH. Gastrointestinal tissues were weighed and sampled for physiology in Ussing chambers, morphometry and enzymology. Glucose absorption tended to be higher (P = 0.08) and carbachol-stimulated chloride secretion was lower (P = 0.01) with CMC in the small intestine, without changes in the colon. Aerobes were transiently higher at day 7 (P < 0.05) but coliform counts remained unchanged (P = 0.78) and beta-haemolitic Escherichia coli were virtually absent. Stomach and small-intestinal segments were heavier, and viscosity higher with CMC (0.001 < P < 0.05). The pH in the stomach was higher, and in the caecum and proximal colon lower with CMC (0.001 < P < 0.05). Jejunal villus area was slightly reduced with CMC (P < 0.05) without effects on enzyme activities (P > 0.10). In conclusion, CMC supplementation had pro-absorptive effects on the small intestine, possibly due to the absence of pathogenic E. coli in the present study.