Effect of supplementation with Enterococcus faecium (SF68) on immune functions in cats

T evaluate the effect of supplementation with Enterococcus faecium strain SF68 (NCIMB10415) on immune function, responses to a multivalent vaccine were investigated in kittens given palatability enhancer with or without E. faecium SF68 daily. E. faecium SF68 was detected in the feces of seven of nine treated cats. Supplementation of kittens with E. faecium SF68 did not affect developmental parameters. The percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes was significantly higher in the treatment group. There were no statistical differences in measurements of any other nonspecific or specific immune parameters between groups.     

纳米氧化锌对断奶仔猪生长、腹泻、肠道微生物和通透性的影响

选用108头平均体重为7.2 kg杜×长×大断奶仔猪,随机分成3组,对照组饲喂基础饲粮;氧化锌组在基础饲粮中添加2 000 mg/kg锌(氧化锌);纳米氧化锌组在基础饲粮中添加500 mg/kg锌(纳米氧化锌),试验期14 d。结果表明:与对照组相比,添加500 mg/kg纳米氧化锌和2 000 mg/kg氧化锌分别提高日增重16.20%(P<0.05)和14.94%(P<0.05),提高日采食12.63%(P<0.05)和13.66%(P<0.05),显著降低断奶后7 d和14 d腹泻指数(P<0.05),显著降低血浆D-乳酸和二胺氧化酶活性(P<0.05)。添加500 mg/kg纳米氧化锌显著降低小肠和结肠内容物中梭菌和大肠杆菌数量;添加2 000 mg/kg氧化锌显著降低结肠内容物中梭菌数量。结果提示,断奶仔猪饲粮中添加500 mg/kg锌(纳米氧化锌)可提高仔猪生长性能,降低腹泻率和肠道通透性,改善肠道微生态,其效果与添加2 000 mg/kg锌(氧化锌)相当。     

Influence of Enterococcus faecium SF68 Probiotic on Giardiasis in Dogs

Background: Giardiasis is a common, potentially zoonotic disease, and dogs often harbor and shed cysts without showing clinical signs. Treatment with the probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 has been shown to stimulate mucosal and systemic immunity in a variety of animal models and in young dogs, and to reduce giardial cyst and antigen shedding in rodents.
Hypothesis: Adult dogs with chronic naturally acquired giardiasis will have decreased giardial fecal cyst and antigen shedding and increased innate and adaptive immunity after 6 weeks probiotic treatment with E. faecium SF68.
Animals: Twenty adult dogs.
Methods: After a 6-week dietary equilibration period, dogs were randomized to receive E. faecium SF68 or placebo for 6 weeks, and then crossed over to the alternate treatment. We measured cyst shedding, fecal giardial antigen, fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration, and circulating leukocyte phagocytic activity at multiple timepoints to determine the effect of E. faecium SF68 on giardiasis and immune responses in these dogs.
Results: No differences were observed between placebo or E. faecium SF68 treatment for giardial cyst shedding, fecal antigen shedding, fecal IgA concentration, or leukocyte phagocytic activity.
Conclusions: Short-term treatment with E. faecium SF68 of dogs with chronic naturally acquired subclinical giardiasis fails to affect giardial cyst shedding or antigen content and does not alter innate or adaptive immune responses.     

Lactic acid bacteria for mink. Colonization and persistence of Enterococcus faecium Cernelle 68 in the digestive tract of mink.

A method was developed to follow a lactic acid bacterial strain, Enterococcus faecium Cernelle 68, with respect to adhesion, multiplication, colonization, and persistence in the digestive tract of mink. Also the spread of the strain in the cage was examined. When adding 5 x 10(9) c.f.u. of a rifampicin resistant mutant per kg feed, high viable counts were registered throughout the digestive tract, apart from the oesophagus. Counts were increasing in the aboral direction, suggesting some multiplication in the intestine. It was possible to detect the strain in the intestinal tract 4 days after discontinuation of administration. Neither culture nor scanning electron microscopy gave evidence to suggest that E. faecium Cernelle 68 adhered to the mucosa. The spread of the E. faecium strain was observed in the environment. Counts of E. coli, lactobacilli, staphylococci, and clostridia were low, and none of these bacteria were constant findings.     

Assessment of dietary supplementation with probiotics on performance, intestinal morphology and microflora of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella

We evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with different preparations of probiotics on the performance of broiler chickens experimentally infected with 2 × 10(4) sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella at 14 days of age. Three hundred, day-old, Cobb-500 chicks, as hatched, were separated into 10 equal groups with three replicates. Two of the groups, one challenged with E. tenella oocysts and the other not, were given a basal diet and served as controls without medication. The other challenged groups were given the anticoccidial lasalocid (60 mg/kg) or Enterococcus faecium (5 × 10(8) or 5 × 10(9)cfu/kg feed), Bifidobacterium animalis (5 × 10(8)cfu/kg feed), Lactobacillus reuteri (5 × 10(8)cfu/kg feed), Bacillus subtilis (5 × 10(8)cfu/kg feed), or a multi-species probiotic mix at 5 × 10(8) or 5 × 10(9)cfu/kg feed, respectively. The trial lasted 6 weeks. Individual body weight, feed intake per pen and feed conversion ratio values were recorded weekly, along with the extent of bloody diarrhea, excreta oocyst numbers and bird mortality. Caecal lesions were assessed and intestinal samples were taken for histopathological and bacteriological evaluation from ileum and caecum. Overall growth performance of chickens fed the multi-species probiotic mix at both levels was higher (P<0.05) compared to the infected control. Overall oocyst shedding was lowest (P<0.05) in the lasalocid supplemented group. Villous height was higher (P<0.05) in Bacillus supplemented groups compared to infected controls. The Lactobacillus supplemented group had the highest (P<0.05) numbers of both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in ileum and caecum. In conclusion, dietary probiotics are promising for further investigation on improving intestinal health and growth performance of broiler chickens experimentally challenged with E. tenella.     

Influence of a probiotic Enterococcus faecium strain on selected bacterial groups in the small intestine of growing turkey poults.

A feeding trial was carried out with turkey poults, which were fed a diet containing 10(10) viable probiotic E. faecium NCIB 10415 cells/kg feed. Samples of the intestinal tract were analyzed for lactate, colony forming units of total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteria and enterococci. Furthermore, metabolic activity of total eubacterial, lactobacilli and enterococci was recorded in selected RNA-extracts with specific ribosomal RNA oligonucleotide probes. Animals fed the probiotic diet showed continously increasing lactate concentrations throughout the sampling period up to day 42 of life. No correlation was found for colony forming units (cfu) of lactic acid bacteria, but metabolic activity of lactobacilli showed very close relation to continously increasing lactate concentrations. Throughout the feeding trial, enterococci in the control group continously increased to a maximum of 10(4) cfu/g wet weight, but 10-fold higher enterococci cfu were generally found in the treated group. However, rRNA content as measure for metabolic activity showed a drastic decline in both groups after high metabolic activities on day 7. This study shows that E. faecium NCIB 10415 (E. faecium SF68) stimulates other lactic acid bacteria in the small intestine, especially lactobacilli.     

酪酸梭菌对断奶仔猪生长性能、肠道组织形态及肠道通透性的影响

本试验旨在研究酪酸梭菌对断奶仔猪生长性能、肠道组织形态及肠道通透性的影响。试验选用21日龄断奶、体重(5.35±1.33)kg的"杜×长×大"三元杂交仔猪18头,随机分为3组,分别饲喂基础饲粮(对照组)、基础饲粮+500 mg/kg酪酸梭菌(酪酸梭菌组)、基础饲粮+3 000 mg/kg氧化锌(氧化锌组),每组6个重复,每个重复1头猪,试验期14 d。结果表明:1)各组断奶仔猪平均日增重与料重比无显著差异(P0.05);酪酸梭菌组和氧化锌组仔猪腹泻率与对照组相比显著降低(P0.05)。2)与对照组相比,酪酸梭菌组和氧化锌组断奶仔猪回肠隐窝深度显著降低(P0.05),绒腺比极显著升高(P0.01)。3)酪酸梭菌组和氧化锌组断奶仔猪第14天血清内毒素与D-乳酸浓度均显著低于对照组(P0.05),酪酸梭菌组与氧化锌组之间无显著差异(P0.05)。4)与对照组相比,酪酸梭菌组和氧化锌组断奶仔猪回肠和结肠咬合蛋白(Occludin)mRNA表达量显著升高(P0.05);与氧化锌组相比,酪酸梭菌组断奶仔猪回肠和结肠闭合小环蛋白-1(ZO-1)、Occludin mRNA表达量无显著差异(P0.05)。综合以上结果,断奶仔猪饲粮中添加酪酸梭菌可以显著降低断奶仔猪腹泻率,改善肠黏膜形态,降低肠黏膜通透性,上调紧密连接蛋白的表达量,可达到与添加氧化锌相同的效果。     

Nutritional and physiological role of medium-chain triglycerides and medium-chain fatty acids in piglets

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are found at higher levels in milk lipids of many animal species and in the oil fraction of several plants, including coconuts, palm kernels and certain Cuphea species. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and fatty acids are efficiently absorbed and metabolized and are therefore used for piglet nutrition. They may provide instant energy and also have physiological benefits beyond their energetic value contributing to several findings of improved performance in piglet-feeding trials. MCTs are effectively hydrolyzed by gastric and pancreatic lipases in the newborn and suckling young, allowing rapid provision of energy for both enterocytes and intermediary hepatic metabolism. MCFAs affect the composition of the intestinal microbiota and have inhibitory effects on bacterial concentrations in the digesta, mainly on Salmonella and coliforms. However, most studies have been performed in vitro up to now and in vivo data in pigs are still scarce. Effects on the gut-associated and general immune function have been described in several animal species, but they have been less studied in pigs. The addition of up to 8% of a non-esterified MCFA mixture in feed has been described, but due to the sensory properties this can have a negative impact on feed intake. This may be overcome by using MCTs, allowing dietary inclusion rates up to 15%. Feeding sows with diets containing 15% MCTs resulted in a lower mortality of newborns and better development, particularly of underweight piglets. In conclusion, MCFAs and MCTs offer advantages for the improvement of energy supply and performance of piglets and may stabilize the intestinal microbiota, expanding the spectrum of feed additives supporting piglet health in the post-weaning period.     

The immune response to dietary antigens and its influence on disease susceptibility in farm animals

Transient hypersensitivity reactions of the intestinal immune system to dietary antigens result in increases in enterocyte turnover and villous atrophy. These changes occur in the intestine of the post weaned piglet and precede the proliferation of E. coli and the development of post-weaning diarrhea. We therefore postulated that a transient cell mediated immune response to dietary antigens may increase susceptibility to disease. The interaction of dietary and microbial antigens upon the gut immune system has been investigated in mice and pigs and it has been shown that both exert powerful regulatory effects upon each other.     

Influence of the probiotic Bacillus cereus var. toyoi on the intestinal immunity of piglets

In a feeding trial, sows and piglets were fed with the probiotic bacterium Bacillus cereus var. toyoi as a feed additive, and the effects on immune cell populations were examined. The development of the gut immune system was determined for piglets at the ages of 14, 28, 35 and 56 days post partum. Tissue samples of the Jejunum and the continuous Peyer's patch were used for enumeration of intraepithelial lymphocyte populations by fluorescence activated flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Both independent methods of investigation led to similar results: the population of intraepithelial CD8+ T cells was significantly enhanced in the probiotic group piglets (p ≤ 0.05), and the numbers of γδ T cells tended to be higher in the intestinal epithelium (p < 0.1) at the time of weaning (day 28). Lamina propria lymphocytes were also influenced by the treatment. Application of B. cereus var. toyoi resulted in significantly more CD25+ lymphocytes and γδ T cells in the probiotic group post-weaning. The occurrence of pathogenic Escherichia coli serogroups was also less frequent in the feces of piglets from the probiotic group. The finding that the CD8+ T cell population in the intestinal mucosa showed changes on day 28 indicated that the influence of B. cereus var. toyoi supplementation on the intestinal immune system started before weaning, an observation supported by changes in the intestinal microflora observed during the suckling-period. The results suggest that feeding of B. cereus var. toyoi to sows may result in beneficial effects on piglet health status independent of their feed supplementation.     

谷氨酰胺对断奶仔猪生长性能、营养物质表观消化率、空肠碱性磷酸酶活性及与肠道健康相关因子基因表达的影响

本研究的目的是探讨饲粮中添加谷氨酰胺对断奶仔猪生长性能、营养物质表观消化率、空肠碱性磷酸酶活性及与肠道健康相关因子基因表达的影响.将128头21日龄断奶的“杜×长×大”三元杂交仔猪按照体重、性别一致的原则随机分成2组,分别为对照组和添加1.00％谷氨酰胺组,每组4个重复,每个重复16头仔猪.在仔猪断奶后第10天和第30天,分别从每个重复中采集新鲜粪便样本,然后选择1头接近平均体重的仔猪进行屠宰,取空肠,刮取黏膜.试验期为30 d.结果表明:在断奶后第10天,与对照组相比,谷氨酰胺组平均日增重、干物质、粗蛋白质表观消化率和表观代谢能分别显著提高了19.05％、9.06％、4.77％和7.02％(P＜0.05),大多数必需氨基酸和非必需氨基酸表观消化率均有显著的提高(P＜0.05);在断奶后第30天,谷氨酰胺组干物质、粗蛋白质表观消化率和表观代谢能分别显著提高了5.90％、2.80％和6.43％ (P ＜0.05).在断奶后第10天和第30天,谷氨酰胺组仔猪空肠刷状缘碱性磷酸酶活性比对照组分别提高了30.09％(P＜0.05)和5.98％ (P ＞0.05).谷氨酰胺组空肠过氧化物酶体增殖体激活受体-γ和丙酮酸激酶基因mRNA表达水平在断奶后第10天比对照组分别下降了10.00％和30.00％ (P ＞0.05);在断奶后第30天比对照组分别显著下降了42.22％和44.52％ (P ＜0.05).在断奶后第10天和第30天,谷氨酰胺组空肠雷帕霉素靶蛋白基因mRNA表达水平分别比对照组提高了22.00％ (P ＞0.05)和22.38％ (P ＜0.05).以上结果提示,谷氨酰胺通过提高空肠碱性磷酸酶活性和调控与肠道健康相关因子基因表达水平来提高断奶仔猪的生长性能和营养物质表观消化率.     

Effect of dietary supplementation with alpha-galactosidase preparation and stachyose on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal bacterial populations of piglets.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with alpha-galactosidase preparation and stachyose on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal bacterial populations of piglets. In Experiment I 72 crossbred piglets were allotted to three treatments, i.e. 1) control (basal) diet, 2) alpha-Gal1 and 3) alpha-Gal5, the basal diet supplemented with 0.01% and 0.05% alpha-galactosidase preparation (alpha-Gal), respectively. Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not influenced by alpha-Gal supplementation. In Experiment II 72 crossbred weanling piglets were randomly assigned to four treatments with a complete factorial design, i.e. 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet with 0.01% alpha-Gal supplementation, 3) basal diet with 1% stachyose supplementation and 4) basal diet with 1% stachyose and 0.01% alpha-Gal supplementation. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were influenced by alpha-Gal and stachyose supplementation. The ileal digestibility of stachyose, raffinose, gross energy and crude protein was improved significantly by alpha-Gal supplementation. The microbial populations in the intestine were modified by both alpha-Gal and stachyose supplementation. The data suggested that stachyose supplementation had an adverse effect on the growth performance of piglets and alpha-Gal supplementation could ameliorate it, especially in younger pigs.     

Mechanisms Involved in the Growth Promotion of Weaned Piglets by High-level Zinc Oxide

Dietary supplementation with high levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) is an effective method to prevent diarrhea and promote growth in weaned piglets. However, the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects are not well understood. Recent advances in this field indicated that the effects of ZnO on piglet growth are achieved through multiple regulatory pathways rather than a single pathway. This review focuses on recent advances in the effects of high level ZnO on: 1) Zn status in weaned piglets; 2) intestinal microbe flora regulation; 3) intestinal structure and function; 4) ion secretion in the intestine epithelium; 5) intestinal immunology; and 6) secretion of brain-intestine peptides. ZnO appears to regulate the intestinal microflora and decreases the release of histamine to prevent diarrhea. ZnO also increases the expression of intestinal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the IGF-1 receptor to ameliorate intestinal injury associated with weaning, and mediates secretion of brain-gut peptides to stimulate food intake, to promote the growth of piglets. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms should inspire us to supplement the diet for weaned piglets with ZnO and investigate new approaches to prevent diarrhea and enhance growth.     

Mechanisms Involved in the Growth Promotion of Weaned Piglets by High-level Zinc Oxide

Dietary supplementation with high levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) is an effective method to prevent diarrhea and promote growth in weaned piglets. However, the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects are not well understood. Recent advances in this field indicated that the effects of ZnO on piglet growth are achieved through multiple regulatory pathways rather than a single pathway. This review focuses on recent advances in the effects of high level ZnO on:1) Zn status in weaned piglets;2) intestinal microbe flora regulation;3)intestinal structure and function;4 )ion secretion in the intestine epithelium;5) intestinal immunology; and 6) secretion of brain-intestine peptides. ZnO appears to regulate the intestinal microflora and decreases the release of histamine to prevent diarrhea. ZnO also increases the expression of intestinal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the IGF-1 receptor to ameliorate intestinal injury associated with weaning, and mediates secretion of brain-gut peptides to stimulate food intake, to promote the growth of piglets. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms should inspire us to supplement the diet for weaned piglets with ZnO and investigate new approaches to prevent diarrhea and enhance growth.     

屎肠球菌微胶囊制剂的稳定性及对断乳仔猪生产性能的影响

本试验以自主筛选的一株屎肠球菌为对象,在抗逆性评估的基础上,通过微囊化提高耐热性和稳定性,并进行动物田间小试,评价其对断乳仔猪生长性能的影响。结果显示,通过优化保护剂与壁材的配方,改善喷雾干燥工艺参数,可使喷雾后获得的干物质中活菌数达到1010cfu/g;微囊化的屎肠球菌对高温的耐受性增强,贮存时间更久,对胃液和肠液依然具备较好的耐受性。在仔猪生长性能方面,与空白组相比,饲喂屎肠球菌组仔猪的平均日增重和日采食量分别提高37%和15%,料肉比和腹泻率分别下降16%和65%,说明该屎肠球菌微胶囊制剂可以改善仔猪生长性能。     

Additional dietary zinc for weaning piglets is associated with elevated concentrations of serum IGF-I

Two experiments were performed in order to study how weaning and post-weaning dietary zinc level affect serum IGF-I. Further, whether the growth-enhancing effect of 2500 ppm of dietary zinc (Zn2500) and/or 175 ppm of dietary copper (Cu175) in post-weaning diets is associated with elevated serum IGF-I levels in piglets was studied. Experiment 1 included 54 piglets (six litters of nine piglets). One piglet from every litter was assigned to a control group (blood sampled 1 day before weaning). At weaning the remaining eight piglets from every litter were allocated randomly to four dietary treatments with increasing zinc inclusions (Zn100, Zn250, Zn1000, Zn2500). In exp. 2, 48 piglets (six litters of eight piglets) were allocated to four dietary treatments (Zn100, Zn100Cu175, Zn2500, Zn2500Cu175). All piglets in exp. 1 were blood sampled at -1, 1-2, 5-6 or 14-15 days after weaning and in exp. 2 blood samples were taken from all pigs 5-7 days after weaning. Feed intake was recorded per pen (two piglets) and weight gain was recorded for every piglet. Just after weaning feed intake was very low, piglets lost weight and serum IGF-I decreased in exp. 1. However, the piglets fed 2500 ppm of zinc reached pre-weaning levels of serum IGF-I at 14-15 days post-weaning, whereas piglets receiving lower zinc levels showed no changes in serum IGF-I. In exp. 2, additional dietary zinc in weaning diets for piglets was found to be associated with increased feed intake, improved growth rate and increased serum IGF-I. High levels of dietary copper did not affect any of these measurements. Zinc-induced rise in serum IGF-I was partly due to increased feed intake. After correcting for differences in feed intake, zinc significantly increased serum IGF-I. However, to completely separate effects of feed intake from effects of zinc status, pair-feeding should be considered in future studies.     

Effect of maternal seaweed extract supplementation on suckling piglet growth, humoral immunity, selected microflora, and immune response after an ex vivo lipopolysaccharide challenge

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of maternal dietary supplementation (n = 10 sows/treatment) with seaweed extract (SWE: 0 vs. 10.0 g/d) from d 107 of gestation until weaning (d 26) on neonatal piglet growth, humoral immunity, intestinal morphology, selected intestinal microflora, and VFA concentrations. Furthermore, this study examined the effect of dietary treatment on the immune response after an ex vivo Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tissue challenge at weaning in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The main factors consisted of sow dietary treatment (SWE or control) and immunological challenge (yes or no). The SWE supplement (10.0 g/d) contained laminarin (1.0 g), fucoidan (0.8 g), and ash (8.2 g) and was extracted from a Laminaria spp. The SWE-supplemented sows had greater colostrum IgA (P < 0.01) and had a trend for greater IgG (P = 0.062) concentrations compared with non-SWE-supplemented sows. Piglets suckling SWE-supplemented sows had greater serum IgG (P < 0.05) concentrations on d 14 of lactation compared with those suckling non-SWE-supplemented sows. Dietary SWE supplementation decreased fecal Enterobacteriaceae populations in sows at parturition (P < 0.05), and piglets suckling SWE-supplemented sows had a decreased colonic E. coli population at weaning (P < 0.01) compared with non-SWE-supplemented sows. Lipopolysaccharide challenge increased the mRNA abundances of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α and IL-6 (P < 0.01) in ileal tissue and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in colonic (P < 0.01) tissue. There was a treatment × LPS challenge interaction for ileal TNF-α mRNA expression (P < 0.05). Piglets suckling SWE-supplemented sows had greater TNF-α mRNA expression after ex vivo LPS challenge compared with non-SWE-supplemented sows (P < 0.05). However, there was no effect of sow dietary treatment on TNF-α mRNA expression in the unchallenged ileal tissue. Piglet BW at birth and weaning, and small intestinal morphology were unaffected by sow dietary treatment under current experimental conditions. In summary, these results demonstrate an important immunomodulatory role of SWE supplementation characterized by enhanced colostral IgA and IgG concentrations, greater piglet circulatory IgG concentrations on d 14 of lactation, and enhanced TNF-α mRNA expression in the ileum after an ex vivo LPS challenge. These results indicate that SWE supplementation enhanced piglet immune function and colonic microflora at weaning.     

Effect of supplementing sows' feed with alpha-tocopherol acetate and vitamin C on transfer of alpha-tocopherol to piglet tissues, colostrum, and milk: aspects of immune status of piglets

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of sows with alpha-tocopherol acetate (ATA) and vitamin C on deposition of alpha-tocopherol (AT) in piglet lymphoid organs, such as bone marrow, thymus, and spleen at birth and at weaning, as well as on indicators of immune response in piglets. Sows were given the following treatment diets: control, vitamin C 10 g/day, ATA 500 mg/kg feed, and combined vitamins (ATA 500+Vit-C 10). Supplementation with vitamins started at the beginning of pregnancy and lasted until weaning at 21+/-3 days of age. AT was determined in colostrum, milk, piglet plasma (cord blood) and tissues at birth and on day 21. Immunoglobulins were measured in piglet plasma, milk, and colostrum. Lymphocyte proliferation in response to PHA and ConA was determined in sow and piglet blood. ATA supplementation resulted in a significant increase (P<0.001) in the AT content of colostrum, milk, piglet plasma, liver, thymus, bone marrow, and spleen at weaning. The AT content of colostrum and milk significantly (P<0.001) influenced the AT content of piglet plasma and tissues at weaning (day 21). Total Ig and IgG concentrations in piglet plasma were significantly increased in piglets given the combined vitamin treatment. No effect of AT supplementation was observed on IgG and IgA in colostrum and milk. In sows, vitamin C given alone significantly increased lymphocyte response to ConA and PHA; whereas, in piglets, there was no significant effect of treatments on lymphocyte response to PHA and ConA.     

三丁酸甘油酯对乙酸刺激仔猪肠道屏障功能的影响

本试验旨在研究三丁酸甘油酯（TB）对乙酸（ACA）刺激仔猪小肠黏膜生长和肠道屏障功能的影响。试验选用18头体重接近、健康的28日龄断奶仔猪（杜×长×大）,随机分为3个处理：对照组、乙酸组和TB组,每个处理6个重复,每个重复1头猪。试验期为21 d。试验期内对照组和乙酸组饲喂基础日粮,TB组饲喂基础日粮+0.1% TB。于试验第15天清晨,乙酸组和TB组仔猪直肠灌注10 mL 10%乙酸,对照组直肠灌注相应剂量的灭菌生理盐水。于试验第18、21天清晨前腔静脉采血,测定血浆二胺氧化酶（DAO）活力;第21天屠宰取样,取空肠、回肠等组织样品,测定仔猪肠道形态结构、肠道黏膜损伤相关基因mRNA水平等指标。结果表明：①未用乙酸刺激前,与对照组相比,日粮中添加0.1% TB对仔猪平均日增重有一定程度提高（P=0.089）,且显著降低了仔猪料重比（P<0.05）;②与对照组相比,乙酸组显著降低了空肠黏膜绒毛高度、回肠黏膜绒毛高度与隐窝深度比值及空肠绒毛表面积（P<0.05）;③与乙酸组相比,TB组显著降低了血浆DAO活力（P<0.05）,极显著降低了回肠AREG基因的相对表达量（P<0.01）。综合上述结果,日粮中添加0.1% TB能缓解乙酸诱导的仔猪肠黏膜生长及肠道屏障功能的损伤。