Dietary purine nucleotides and the gastrointestinal tract

There is a growing body of research that demonstrates a role for dietary nucleotides, the building blocks of RNA and DNA, during intestinal development, turnover, and repair. There is evidence that the effects of purine nucleotides may be mediated through intestinal gene transcription and, more specifically, through the action of transcription factors that, at least sometimes, are directly related to nutrition. Some of the suggested specific roles for dietary nucleotides include the enhancement of the normal host defense system, effects on neonatal lipid metabolism, and influence on iron bioavailability. This review focuses on the potential role of dietary (purine) nucleotides in the maintenance of intestinal integrity and reviews potential mechanisms for these effects.