The Combined Effect of Weaning Stress and Immune Activation during Pig Gestation on Serum Cytokine and Analyte Concentrations.

Haley E Rymut,Courtni R Bolt,Rodney W Johnson,Maria B Villamil,Bruce R Southey,Laurie A Rund,Sandra L Rodriguez-Zas

doi:10.3390/ani11082274

Haley E Rymut, Courtni R Bolt + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082274

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Abstract

Simple SummaryThe present study of blood chemical, cytokine and hormone indicators in male and female pigs offered insights into the combined effects of maternal immune activation and weaning stress. Our results indicate that maternal immune activation may grant higher tolerance to anion gap and bilirubin disruptions triggered by weaning stress. Therefore, management practices aimed at minimizing the effects of weaning should consider the interacting effect of immune activation during development.Weaning stress can elicit changes in the metabolic, hormone and immune systems of pigs and interact with prolonged disruptions stemming from maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation. The present study advances the characterization of the combined effects of weaning stress and MIA on blood chemistry, immune and hormone indicators that inform on the health of pigs. Three-week-old female and male offspring of control gilts or gilts infected with the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus were allocated to weaned or nursed groups. The anion gap and bilirubin profiles suggest that MIA enhances tolerance to the effects of weaning stress. Interleukin 1 beta and interleukin 2 were highest among weaned MIA females, and cortisol was higher among weaned relative to nursed pigs across sexes. Canonical discriminant analysis demonstrated that weaned and nursed pigs have distinct chemistry profiles, whereas MIA and control pigs have distinct cytokine profiles. The results from this study can guide management practices that recognize the effects of the interaction between MIA and weaning stress on the performance and health of pigs.

Highlights

The impact of weaning on the offspring reflects social, nutritional and environmental stress conditions [1,2]
Descriptive statistics of the chemistry and cytokine concentrations across all maternal immune activation (MIA)-weaning groups of pigs and within the baseline group corresponding to nursed pigs from control gilts are summarized in Supplementary
The positive association between interleukin 6 (IL-6) and other cytokines detected in the present study indicates that IL-6 aids in the development of immune responses to MIA and weaning

Summary

Introduction

The impact of weaning on the offspring reflects social, nutritional and environmental stress conditions [1,2]. Weaning stress includes separating the offspring from littermates and sow, handling and transport of pigs, becoming familiar with unknown pigs in the new pen, housing, environment and feeding as demonstrated by studies of rodents and pigs [1,2]. Weaning stress elicits changes in the metabolic, hormone and immune systems [3,4]. Weaning in the pig can trigger disruptions in intestinal barrier function and permeability. Weaning can impact the liver and kidney function, dysregulating the energy, lipid and protein metabolic processes that can trigger systemic and chronic inflammatory responses [5]. The levels of blood cortisol and lymphocytic trapping in pigs significantly increased the day after weaning [6], whereas the levels of B, T and K lymphocytes decreased in mice after weaning [6]

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