Abstract
Simple SummaryIn the present study, late gestating sows were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin, which can impair the immune system of mammary gland cells and result in an inflammatory response. Additionally, the LPS-treated sows were fed 3% soybean oil (SO), 3% coconut oil (CO) or 3% fish oil (FO) diets and were used to study the effect of fat sources on the colostrum quality and mammary gland inflammation of sows exposed to immune challenge. The results show that FO inclusion exerted anti-inflammatory effects in mammary glands and counteracted the LPS-induced damaged colostrum synthesis and pro-inflammatory response when compared to CO diets. These findings suggest that fatty acid profiles of different oil types in late gestation differentially affect metabolic health in sows, but a longer period of FO supplementation to sows is needed to determine a positive effect on piglets.This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and dietary fat sources on colostrum quality and inflammatory response in sows. Sixty Landrace × Yorkshire sows were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments supplemented with 3% soybean oil (SO), 3% coconut oil (CO) or 3% fish oil (FO), respectively, from Day 90 of gestation until parturition. On Day 112 of gestation, half the sows from each dietary treatment were challenged with LPS (10 μg/kg BW) or saline. The results showed that maternal LPS challenge decreased colostrum yield and dry matter content. A similar pattern of changes was observed for body weight gain and colostrum intake in piglets from LPS-challenged sows. Maternal LPS challenge increased the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 1β (IL1β) and IL6 in colostum, and the mRNA abundance of IL6, IL1β and TNFα and the phosphorylation level of p65 in mammary glands. However, the responses of these variables to LPS treatment were lower in sows fed a FO diet. In conclusion, maternal immune challenge reduced the growth performance of piglets by decreasing colostrum yield and intake by piglets, and dietary supplementation with FO in sows attenuates the LPS-induced inflammatory response in mammary glands.
Highlights
The offspring growth and immunity from birth to weaning is affected by the maternal colostrum yield and quality, which contains numerous immunoglobulins and cytokines that are beneficial to newborn animals [1]
Fat plays an important role in sow nutrition, as its high energy value and low heat increment provides most of the energy as well as the fatty acids needed for the growth and maintenance of organ systems and the body’s energy storage in offspring [2]
The present study used an LPS immune challenge to stimulate a bacterial infection in late-gestating sows to test the hypothesis that bacterial-induced stress can alter the differentiation of mammary epithelial cells and colostrum synthesis, and to investigate the role of maternal diets supplemented with fish oil (FO) or coconut oil (CO)
Summary
The offspring growth and immunity from birth to weaning is affected by the maternal colostrum yield and quality, which contains numerous immunoglobulins and cytokines that are beneficial to newborn animals [1]. As maternal colostrum yield and quality are affected by diets, maternal nutritional intervention during gestation may provide an effective strategy to improve offspring growth and immunity. Supplementation of fat to the sow diets in late gestation and lactation was found to influence the fatty acid composition of colostrum and milk, modulate sow oxidative stress levels and inflammatory responses, and improve the survival of piglets [3,4,5]. Sow dietary fat sources, which differ in fatty acid composition, have different effects on sow colostrum quality and immunity. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and n-3 PUFAs have been shown to exert multiple beneficial effects, including lipid metabolism modification, oxidative stress and inflammation [5,6,7]. Direct evidence that dietary n-3 PUFA inhibits inflammation in mammary gland of sows has not been provided yet
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