Abstract
BackgroundThe objective of this experiment was to investigate the influence of dietary tributyrin on intestinal mucosa development, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway.MethodsSeventy-two pigs were divided into two treatments and received either a basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 750 mg/kg tributyrin. Each treatment has six replicates of six pigs. After 14 days, 6 pigs from each treatment were selected and the jejunal samples were collected.ResultsResults showed that supplemental tributyrin increased (P < 0.05) villus height and villus height: crypt depth of weaned pigs. Pigs fed tributyrin had greater (P < 0.05) RNA/DNA and protein/DNA ratios than pigs on the control group. The mRNA levels of sodium glucose transport protein-1 and glucose transporter-2 in the jejunum were upregulated (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the tributyrin diet. Dietary tributyrin supplementation lowered (P < 0.05) the malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in jejunum, enhanced (P < 0.05) the mitochondrial function, as demonstrated by decreased (P < 0.05) reactive oxygen species level and increased (P < 0.05) mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, tributyrin increased (P < 0.05) mitochondrial DNA content and the mRNA abundance of genes related to mitochondrial functions, including peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, mitochondrial transcription factor A, nuclear respiratory factor-1 in the jejunum. Supplementation with tributyrin elevated (P < 0.05) the phosphorylation level of AMPK and inhibited (P < 0.05) the phosphorylation level of mTOR in jejunum compared with the control group.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that dietary supplementation with tributyrin promotes intestinal mucosa growth, extenuates oxidative stress, improves mitochondrial function and modulates the AMPK-mTOR signal pathway of weaned pigs.
Highlights
The objective of this experiment was to investigate the influence of dietary tributyrin on intestinal mucosa development, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway
Our objective was aimed at exploring the effect of dietary tributyrin on intestinal mucosa growth, mitochondrial function as well as AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway of weaned pigs
The weaning pigs fed with tributyrin showed higher (P < 0.05) jejunal villus height and villus height: crypt depth in comparison to the control
Summary
The objective of this experiment was to investigate the influence of dietary tributyrin on intestinal mucosa development, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway. Piglets are often subjected to nutritional, physiological and immunological stresses during the weaning process [1]. Butyrate is rapidly absorbed across the luminal membranes of intestinal epithelial cells under the action of butyrate transporters [7]. Substantial evidence has reported that butyrate plays a potential role in affecting epithelial cell growth and differentiation, and repairing intestinal injury [8,9,10]. Tributyrin, containing three molecules of butyrate, has been reported to maintain intestinal mucosa normal function [11, 12]. It is necessary to study the beneficial effects of butyrate or tributyrin on intestinal development and absorption function in weaned piglets
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