Project description:Feed additives aiming to improve gastrointestinal health are frequently supplied to piglets after weaning but might be more effective when administered before weaning. In this period, feed additives can either be administered directly to neonates, or indirectly via sow’s feed. It is yet unknown what the effect of the administration route is on gut functionality and health. Therefore, we compared the effect of different dietary interventions on gut functionality after maternal administration (lactation feed) to the neonatal administration route (oral gavage). These feed interventions included medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), beta-glucans (BG), and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). We measured intestinal gene expression and microbiota composition after birth (d1) and after weaning (d31). Our results show that the type of intervention and the administration route influence gut functionality (microbiome and gene expression profiles). MCFA administration led to a more differentially orchestrated response when comparing the neonatal and maternal administration route then the other two additives, indicating the route of administration of the feed interventions is determinative for the outcome. This implies that for each nutritional intervention in early life of a pig the optimal route of administration needs to be determined.
Project description:Homeostasis during the perinatal period is critical for the correct development of mammals and unbalances in the redox potential are common in this stage. Thus, enrichment of maternal diets with antioxidants may be useful to improve piglet early development. We have tested the effects of sows’ diet enrichment with different antioxidants on the piglets’ adipose tissue functioning, in comparison to a control diet with a basal antioxidant level, by studying gene expression and cellularity. The maternal diet strongly influenced adipose tissue transcriptome of the offspring post-weaning. Piglets born to sows supplemented with either vitamin E or hydroxytyrosol show improved metabolic and antioxidant status of adipose tissue, while animals from control group show impaired homeostasis and activation of oxidative stress, immune signalling, and inflammation pathways. Moreover, vitamin E, when supplemented alone at a high dose, activated lipid metabolism and increased adipocyte size. When both vitamin E and hydroxytyrosol were combined, the gene expression profile was scarcely affected in comparison to the control, showing a prooxidant/proinflamatory adipose tissue, which is an unexpected result with different potential explanations. Findings deepen in the processes taking place in adipose tissue of genetically fat individuals and highlight the crucial role of antioxidants in fat cells metabolism
Project description:The benefits of breastfeeding infants are well characterized, including those on the immune system. However, determining the mechanism by which human breast milk (HBM) elicits effects on immune response requires investigation in an appropriate animal model. In the current study we used neonatal piglets and compared their gut microbiome using mass spectrometry based metaproteomics
Project description:Combined dietary supplementation of long chain inulin and Lactobacillus acidophilus W37 supports oral vaccination efficacy against Salmonella Typhimurium in piglets
Project description:Infants with neonatal cholestasis are prone to neurodevelopmental deficits including neuromotor function. Accumulation of potentially neurotoxic molecules in the bloodstream including ammonia and bile acids and malabsorption of lipids may affect neurodevelopment in these patients. This study examined neuromotor function and bile acid and lipid composition of the brain in a piglet model of obstructive neonatal cholestasis via bile duct ligation (BDL) surgery. Results showed that BDL piglets had compromised balance and increased liver enzyme levels, liver fibrosis and bile duct proliferation compared to SHAM piglets. Plasma and cerebellum bile acid profiles differed between BDL and SHAM piglets with hyocholic acid and conjugated bile acid forms dominating in the BDL group. In the cerebellum there were different lipid profiles, but similar gene expression profiles between the two groups.
Project description:Early weaning commonly results in gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation and diarrhea in infants and young animals. Resveratrol, a plant phenol, affords protection against inflammation and cancer.A porcine model was used to investigate the effects of maternal resveratrol supplementation on diarrhea, intestinal inflammation and intestinal morphology in offspring during weaning. The intestinal gene expression was measureed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. Results that weaning-associated intestinal inflammation and diarrhea in pig offspring were alleviated and intestinal morphology was improved by maternal resveratrol supplementation. In weaning piglets (21-day-old), RNA-seq showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched for T cell receptor, primary immunodeficiency, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Ras signaling pathway. In post-weaning piglets (28-day-old), RNA-seq showed that DEGs were enriched in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway and pathways related to metabolism. This study provided insight into molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of maternal dietary resveratrol.