Young Piglets Research Articles

Access to chewable materials during lactation affects sow behaviour and interaction with piglets

We investigated how providing chewable materials to piglets during the early weeks of life affect sow behaviour, sow and piglet interaction and sow health in pens with farrowing crates.We divided 59 pregnant sows into two treatment groups: the Control group (C, n = 29) and the Rope-Paper group (RP, n = 30). Piglets in the C group had the minimum enrichment required by Finnish legislation. For the RP group, we added sisal ropes and non-glossy newsprint paper. We recorded the behaviour of sows and their litters for a four-hour period during the first 7–18 days of life of the piglets. Skin and udder damage of the sow was recorded once a week five times. Behavioural data was divided into two categories according to the age of the litters. The first group contained litters aged from 7 to 13 days (n(RP) = 22 n(C) = 22) and the second group litters aged 14 days or older (n(RP) = 24 n(C) = 24).Younger piglets (age 7–13 days) in the RP group manipulated the udder more frequently (p < 0.01) and the duration of udder manipulation was longer than in the C group (p = 0.02). Further, the RP group had more udder contact events in which 20 % or less of the piglets took part and in which less than 50 % took part (p < 0.01 for both).Older piglets (age ≥ 14 days) in the RP group touched the sows’ body more frequently (p < 0.05).Sows in the C group were standing (p = 0.01), eating (p = 0.04) and performing oral-nasal manipulation (p < 0.01) more often.In the C group, repeated measures of skin lesions differed significantly between observation days (p = 0.00), sows tending to have a higher skin lesion score in observation week 5, with a median score of 1.5 (1–3), than in observation week 4, with a median score of 1 (1–2) (p = 0.06).In conclusion, piglets that had access to chewable materials after birth made more contact with the sow during lactation. However, sows in the C groupperformed more active behaviour. The behavioural mechanisms underlying these changes are not yet clear. Further investigations of the usage of chewable materials in farrowing units equipped with crates and their effects on the behaviour of sows and piglets are therefore warranted.

Distribution and aetiology of valvular endocarditis in suckling and weaned piglets in Serbia

There are limited data available in the literature about the frequency and distribution of endocarditis in suckling and weaned piglets. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of lesions from cases of spontaneous valvular endocarditis in young piglets and to determine the bacterial agents involved in those lesions. Valvular endocarditis lesions in suckling piglets were detected in 21/454 cases (4.62%) and in 20/306 cases (6.53%) in weaned piglets. Streptococci were the dominant bacterial species isolated in 68% of the cases; S. suis was identified in 48.7% of the cases, S. pyogenes in 7.3% and S. spp., which could not be further identified, were cultured in 12.1% of the cases. E. rhusiopathiae was identified as the causal agent of endocarditis in four cases in the weaned piglets. In three cases, A. suis and S. aureus were isolated, and, in two cases, A. pleuropneumoniae was identified. Y. enterocolitica was isolated form one case of valvular endocarditis in a weaned pig. The finding of valvular endocarditis caused by Y. enterocolitica is an uncommon finding in pigs, and to the authors’ knowledge, there are no other reports of this agent being the cause of endocarditis in pigs. The involvement of Y. enterocolitica in endocarditis might have been assisted by the predisposing role of immunosuppressive viruses, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

The genetic basis of natural antibody titers of young healthy pigs and relationships with disease resilience

BackgroundDisease resilience is the ability to maintain performance under pathogen exposure but is difficult to select for because breeding populations are raised under high health. Selection for resilience requires a trait that is heritable, easy to measure on healthy animals, and genetically correlated with resilience. Natural antibodies (NAb) are important parts of the innate immune system and are found to be heritable and associated with disease susceptibility in dairy cattle and poultry. Our objective was to investigate NAb and total IgG in blood of healthy, young pigs as potential indicator traits for disease resilience.ResultsData were from Yorkshire x Landrace pigs, with IgG and IgM NAb (four antigens) and total IgG measured by ELISA in blood plasma collected ~ 1 week after weaning, prior to their exposure to a natural polymicrobial challenge. Heritability estimates were lower for IgG NAb (0.12 to 0.24, + 0.05) and for total IgG (0.19 + 0.05) than for IgM NAb (0.33 to 0.53, + 0.07) but maternal effects were larger for IgG NAb (0.41 to 0.52, + 0.03) and for total IgG (0.19 + 0.05) than for IgM NAb (0.00 to 0.10, + 0.04). Phenotypically, IgM NAb titers were moderately correlated with each other (average 0.60), as were IgG NAb titers (average 0.42), but correlations between IgM and IgG NAb titers were weak (average 0.09). Phenotypic correlations of total IgG were moderate with NAb IgG (average 0.46) but weak with NAb IgM (average 0.01). Estimates of genetic correlations among NAb showed similar patterns but with small SE, with estimates averaging 0.76 among IgG NAb, 0.63 among IgM NAb, 0.17 between IgG and IgM NAb, 0.64 between total IgG and IgG NAb, and 0.13 between total IgG and IgM NAb. Phenotypically, pigs that survived had slightly higher levels of NAb and total IgG than pigs that died. Genetically, higher levels of NAb tended to be associated with greater disease resilience based on lower mortality and fewer parenteral antibiotic treatments. Genome-wide association analyses for NAb titers identified several genomic regions, with several candidate genes for immune response.ConclusionsLevels of NAb in blood of healthy young piglets are heritable and potential genetic indicators of resilience to polymicrobial disease.

Pterostilbene attenuates liver injury and oxidative stress in intrauterine growth-retarded weanling piglets.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of pterostilbene, a beneficial component primarily found in blueberries, to alleviate the intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)-induced early liver injury and oxidative stress in a porcine model. Thirty-six IUGR piglets and an equal number of normal birth weight (NBW) counterparts received a diet with or without pterostilbene (250 mg/kg diet) during the first week post-weaning. Parameters related to the hepatic injury, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense mechanisms were analyzed. Relative to NBW, IUGR induced liver injury, which corresponded to increments in circulating alanine transaminase activity and hepatic apoptotic cell rate, superoxide radical generation, and the accumulation of oxidative damage products (P < 0.05). Administering pterostilbene reduced plasma transaminase activities, decreased hepatocyte apoptosis rate, and prevented the augmented levels of hepatic superoxide anion, 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine, and 4-hydroxynonenal-modified protein (P < 0.05). In terms of the hepatic antioxidant function, pterostilbene was efficient in improving the superoxide dismutase activity and the metabolic cycle between reduced glutathione and its oxidized form (P < 0.05). The pterostilbene-supplemented diet facilitated the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and promoted the expression levels of superoxide dismutase 2 in the liver of IUGR piglets (P < 0.05). This study indicates that pterostilbene treatment has an auxiliary therapeutic potential to ameliorate early liver injury in IUGR neonates, presumably by stimulating the NRF2 signals and the associated antioxidant function.

Role of probiotic in the performance of young piglets: A review

Role of probiotic in the performance of young piglets: A review

Effects of Early Myocardial Postnatal Maturation on Tolerance to Atrial Tachycardia With Altered Loading Conditions: An in vivo Swine Model.

Post-natal maturation of the myocardium starts shortly after birth and could affect how clinicians should provide hemodynamic support during this transition. Our aim was to assess the impact of post-natal maturation on tolerance to tachycardia with altered loading condition in a piglet model.Methods: We report three series of experimentations. Six groups of landrace cross neonatal piglets (NP) (1–3 days) and young piglets (YP) (14–17 days) were assigned to tachycardia (NP, YP), tachycardia and hypervolemia (NPV, YPV) or tachycardia and increased afterload (NPA, YPA) groups (n = 7/group). Under anesthesia, a pressure catheter was placed in the left ventricle and pacing wire in the right atrium. NPV and YPV groups had 60 ml/kg of normal saline infused over 20 min. NPA and YPA had balloon sub-occlusion of the descending aorta. Heart rate was increased by 10 bpm increments to 300 bpm. Left ventricular output was measured by echocardiography.Results: NP maintained left ventricular output throughout the pacing protocol but it decreased in the YP (p < 0.001). With volume loading both NPV and YPV maintained their output with tachycardia. Although increased afterload resulted in reduced output during tachycardia in NPA (p = 0.005), there was no added impact on output in YPA. Interestingly, 4 of 7 NPV had significant desaturation at 300 bpm (baseline 99.7% vs. 300 bpm 87.9%, p = 0.04), associated with a right to left shunt through the patent foramen ovale which resolved immediately on cessation of pacing.Conclusions: Early post-natal maturation is associated with improved myocardial tolerance to increased afterload and poor tolerance of tachycardia, the latter of which may be alleviated by increasing intravascular volume. These data could translate into the development of better strategies to optimize cardiac output at these early development ages.

Experimental inoculation and nose-to-nose transmission of Clostridioides difficile between weaned piglets

In piglets, Clostridioides (C.) difficile infection presents mostly subclinical manifestation. As this agent became important in veterinary medicine due to a hypothesis of zoonosis, the objective of this study was to evaluate the transmission of C. difficile by nose-to-nose contact in young piglets. Six 20-day-old piglets were separated into three groups (infected, sentinel and control), and distributed in different isolation cabinets which allowed nose-to-nose contact only between infected and sentinel groups. The challenged group received an inoculum 106 CFU/mL of C. difficile 096 by oropharyngeal route. Rectal swab samples were daily collected for microbiological and molecular analysis. Euthanasia of all piglets was performed 18 days after challenge to evaluate anatomical, histological and microbiological lesions of the organs of these animals. The challenged and sentinel groups showed clinical signs of infection and genes encoding TcdB were detected by conventional PCR in both groups, confirming the transmission of the pathogen from the challenged to the sentinel piglets. At necropsy, tonsil, liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, ileocolic lymph nodes, jejunum, ileum, proximal colon, distal colon and cecum were collected for microbiological analysis; lesions were observed varying in degree and intensity. This study demonstrated a novel route of transmission of C. difficile between young piglets, which was proven to occur by nose-to-nose contact.

Genomic background and genetic relationships between boar taint and fertility traits in German Landrace and Large White

BackgroundDue to ethical reasons, surgical castration of young male piglets in their first week of life without anesthesia will be banned in Germany from 2021. Breeding against boar taint is already implemented in sire breeds of breeding organizations but in recent years a low demand made this trait economically less important.The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and genetic relationships between boar taint compounds androstenone and skatole and maternal/paternal reproduction traits in 4′924 Landrace (LR) and 4′299 Large White (LW) animals from nucleus populations. Additionally, genome wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed per trait and breed to detect SNP marker with possible pleiotropic effects that are associated with boar taint and fertility.ResultsEstimated heritabilities (h2) were 0.48 (±0.08) for LR (0.39 ± 0.07 for LW) for androstenone and 0.52 (±0.08) for LR (0.32 ± 0.07 for LW) for skatole. Heritabilities for reproduction did not differ between breeds except age at first insemination (LR: h2 = 0.27 (±0.05), LW: h2 = 0.34 (±0.05)). Estimates of genetic correlation (rg) between boar taint and fertility were different in LR and LW breeds. In LR an unfavorable rg of 0.31 (±0.15) was observed between androstenone and number of piglets born alive, whereas this rg in LW (− 0.15 (±0.16)) had an opposite sign. A similar breed-specific difference is observed between skatole and sperm count. Within LR, the rg of 0.08 (±0.13) indicates no relationship between the traits, whereas the rg of − 0.37 (±0.14) in LW points to an unfavorable relationship. In LR GWAS identified QTL regions on SSC5 (21.1–22.3 Mb) for androstenone and on SSC6 (5.5–7.5 Mb) and SSC14 (141.1–141.6 Mb) for skatole. For LW, one marker was found on SSC17 at 48.1 Mb for androstenone and one QTL on SSC14 between 140.5 Mb and 141.6 Mb for skatole.ConclusionKnowledge about such genetic correlations could help to balance conventional breeding programs with boar taint in maternal breeds. QTL regions with unfavorable pleiotropic effects on boar taint and fertility could have deleterious consequences in genomic selection programs. Constraining the weighting of these QTL in the genomic selection formulae may be a useful strategy to avoid physiological imbalances.

Comparison of the protective effects of resveratrol and pterostilbene against intestinal damage and redox imbalance in weanling piglets

BackgroundEvidence indicates that early weaning predisposes piglets to intestinal oxidative stress and increases the risk of intestinal dysfunction; however, there are minimal satisfactory treatment strategies for these conditions. This study investigated the potential of resveratrol and its analog, pterostilbene, as antioxidant protectants for regulating intestinal morphology, barrier function, and redox status among weanling piglets.MethodsA total of 144 piglets were selected at 21 days of age and randomly allocated into one of four treatment groups, each of which included six replicates. Piglets in a sow-reared control group were suckling normally between ages 21 and 28 days, while those in weaned groups were fed a basal diet, supplemented with either 300 mg/kg of resveratrol or with 300 mg/kg of pterostilbene. Parameters associated with intestinal injury and redox status were analyzed at the end of the feeding trial.ResultsEarly weaning disrupted the intestinal function of young piglets, with evidence of increased diamine oxidase activity and D-lactate content in the plasma, shorter villi, an imbalance between cell proliferation and apoptosis, an impaired antioxidant defense system, and severe oxidative damage in the jejunum relative to suckling piglets. Feeding piglets with a resveratrol-supplemented diet partially increased villus height (P = 0.056) and tended to diminish apoptotic cell numbers (P = 0.084) in the jejunum compared with those fed a basal diet. Similarly, these beneficial effects were observed in the pterostilbene-fed piglets. Pterostilbene improved the feed efficiency of weanling piglets between the ages of 21 and 28 days; it also resulted in diminished plasma diamine oxidase activity and D-lactate content relative to untreated weaned piglets (P < 0.05). Notably, pterostilbene restored jejunal antioxidant capacity, an effect that was nearly absent in the resveratrol-fed piglets. Pterostilbene reduced the malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2´-deoxyguanosine contents of jejunal mucosa possibly through its regulatory role in facilitating the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and the expression levels of NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 and superoxide dismutase 2 (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe results indicate that pterostilbene may be more effective than its parent compound in alleviating early weaning-induced intestinal damage and redox imbalance among young piglets.

Iron Deficiency and Iron Excess Alter Dendritic Architecture of Pyramidal Neurons in the Hippocampus of Neonatal Pigs

Abstract Objectives The study assessed effect of dietary iron on iron homeostasis and dendritic architecture of hippocampal neurons in young piglets. Methods On postnatal day (PD) 1, 30 piglets (15 male/female) were blocked by sex and randomized to treatments by receiving no (N), low (L) or high (H) dose of iron supplement during pre- (PD1–21) and post-weaning period (PD22–35). Pigs in N, L, and H group orally received 0, 1, and 30 mg iron/(kg BW· d) as ferrous sulfate solution pre-weaning and were fed a solid diet containing 30, 125, and 1000 mg iron/kg post-weaning, respectively. Blood samples were collected on PD1 and weekly thereafter to analyze iron biomarkers. Iron homeostasis in hippocampus was assessed by measuring gene and protein expression of iron transporters. Hippocampal neurons stained with Golgi-Cox method were traced and 3D reconstructed using Neurolucida. Dendritic arborization were quantified through Sholl analysis and Neurolucida Explorer. Results Pigs in H group had the highest growth rate, whereas N pigs displayed growth retardation from PD27 to PD35, resulting in significant difference in body weight compared to H group (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Iron dose-dependently increased hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, plasma iron and transferrin saturation since PD7 or PD14 (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Pigs in N group became iron deficient since PD14 (Hb &amp;lt; 11 g/dL). Similarly, hippocampal ferritin expression was upregulated with the increase of iron (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The mRNA expression of TFRC and DMT1 in hippocampus was highest in N and lowest in H group (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Despite relatively low abundance, HAMP expression tended to be higher in H than that in N (P &amp;lt; 0.10). Sholl analysis uncovered significant main effect of treatment on basilar dendritic arborization of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons (P ≤ 0.04). There were less branching nodes and dendrites in N than in H group (P &amp;lt; 0.05). However, the difference in dendritic arborization was primarily derived from the higher order (&amp;gt; 3) of branches in both regions. Iron supplementation did not affect architecture of apical dendrites of granule cells in dentate gyrus. Conclusions Early-life iron status affects hippocampal iron homeostasis and alters development of pyramidal neurons in a piglet model. Funding Sources NIFA Hatch/Multistate Research Fund.

The Composition of Circulating Leukocytes Varies With Age and Melanoma Onset in the MeLiM Pig Biomedical Model.

Immunological research in pigs benefits from many improvements with a direct impact on the veterinary control of pig husbandry and on biomedical models. We compiled the available knowledge to develop gating strategies to monitor simultaneously all blood immune cell types by multicolor flow cytometry in Melanoblastoma-bearing Libechov Minipigs (MeLiM). The MeLiM pig spontaneously develops cutaneous melanomas that regress few months later. We monitored lymphoid and myeloid cell subsets in 3 to 21 weeks old pigs. Interestingly, neutrophils, type III monocytes (CD163+ CD14+ MHC II−) and CD4− CD8α− T cells are less abundant in oldest animals in contrast to eosinophils, type II monocytes (CD163− CD14low MHC II+), B cells, γδ T cells, CD4+ CD8α+ and CD4− CD8α+ T cells. Melanoma occurrence led to changes in the blood cell composition. Higher proportions of NK cells, CD4+ and CD4+ CD8α+ T cells, and CD21− B cells among B cells are found in young melanoma-bearing piglets, consistent with the immune-mediated spontaneous regression in the MeLiM model.

Birthweight determines intestinal microvasculature development and alters endothelial nitric oxide synthase density in young piglets.

Blood supply to enterocytes dictates intestinal health and nutrient absorption. These two aspects are impaired in low birthweight (LBW) piglets, but whether the perfusion to intestinal tissues is implicated as well is still unknown. Thus, structural changes in the microvasculature of LBW and normal birthweight (NBW) piglets were investigated during early postnatal development. Additionally, the presence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the intestinal mucosa was assessed given its important role to assure perfusion. A total of 22 pigs (11 LBW and 11 NBW) were sacrificed at days 0, 3, 8 and 19 of life. Body weight and intestinal length were recorded and a piece of the small intestine was sampled for immunohistochemical analysis of von Willebrand Factor (vWF, an endothelial cell marker) and eNOS. LBW piglets had a relatively (to body weight) longer intestine than their NBW counterparts. Age did not affect microvasculature, which was more abundant (85% larger vWF-positive area) in NBW than LBW pigs. However, an interaction age*BW was observed for eNOS-IR, showing that eNOS presence peaked in NBW piglets on the first day of life and subsequently decreased. This pattern was not observed in LBW piglets. The less abundant intestinal endothelial mass and the different pattern of eNOS expression observed in LBW piglets suggests microcirculation as a contributing factor in the impaired digestive functioning and gut health of LBW pigs. However, revealing whether the origin of this alteration is prenatal or postnatal, for example due to a lower milk intake, needs further study.

The efficacy and performance impact of Fostera PRRS in a Vietnamese commercial pig farm naturally challenged by a highly pathogenic PRRS virus

Highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) is characterized by high fever, respiratory distress, and high mortality in pigs of all ages and has severely affected the Vietnam pork industry in recent years. The study was conducted to compare the efficacy, safety, and overall performance of a modified live PRRSV-2 vaccine (Fostera PRRS) to an existing PRRSV modified live vaccine on a farm with a recent history of HP-PRRSV-associated respiratory diseases. A total of 351 pigs were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: (i) vaccinated with Fostera PRRS at 1day of age (n = 118), (ii) vaccinated with Fostera PRRS (n = 118) at 21days of age, and (iii) vaccinated with Amervac PRRS (n = 115) at 21days of age. The Fostera PRRS vaccinated pigs had milder clinical symptoms, lower levels of HP-PRRSV viremia, fewer pathological changes in the lung, and higher body weight gain at the end of the study compared with the Amervac PRRS group. Vaccination of pigs with Fostera PRRS at 1day of age also significantly reduced viral loads in their blood (P < 0.05) and induced higher anti-PRRSV antibody titers (P < 0.01) compared with pigs vaccinated with Amervac PRRS at 21days of age. Fostera PRRS vaccination at 1day of age can be useful in protecting young piglets from early HP-PRRSV infection because the immunized pigs were marketed 20days earlier than their peers immunized at 21-day old as they reached the target market weight earlier in this study.

Immunization with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus harbouring Fc domain of IgG enhances antibody production in pigs

Background Outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection have re-emerged and spread rapidly worldwide, resulting in significant economic losses. Vaccination is the best way to prevent PEDV infection in young piglets. Objective To enhance the efficacy of an inactivated vaccine against PEDV, we evaluated the adjuvant properties of Fc domain of IgG. Methods Fifteen crossbred gilts (180 ∼ 210 days old) were used. Five pigs in group 1 were intramuscularly vaccinated twice at 4 weeks and 2 weeks prior to farrowing with 106 TCID50 of inactivated PEDV. Five pigs in group 2 were intramuscularly vaccinated twice at 4 weeks and 2 weeks prior to farrowing with 106 TCID50 of inactivated PEDV-sFc. Five pigs in group 3 were not vaccinated and served as negative controls. Serum samples were collected at farrowing and subjected to ELISA, a serum neutralizing (SN) test, and a cytokine assay. Statistical analysis was performed by a two-tailed unpaired t-test. Results Vero cells expressing swine IgG Fc on its surface was established. When PEDV was propagated in the cells expressing the swine Fc, PEDV virion incorporated the Fc. Immunization of pigs with inactivated PEDV harbouring Fc induced significantly higher antibody production against PEDV, comparing to the immunization with normal inactivated PEDV. In addition, we observed significantly increased IFN-γ levels in sera. Conclusion Our results indicate that Fc molecule facilitate immune responses and PEDV harbouring Fc molecule could be a possible vaccine candidate. However, a challenge experiment would be needed to investigate the protective efficacy of PEDV harbouring Fc.

THE INFLUENCE OF DIETARY BASIC LIMITING AMINO ACIDS AND METABOLIC ENERGY LEVELS ON PROTEIN METABOLISM INDICATORS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PIGLETS

Data about the influence of most limiting essential amino acids (lysine, methionine, threonine) and metabolic energy (ME), provided that their level in the diet increases on the growth and content of total protein, urea and uric acid in the blood plasma of piglets are presented in the article. The stimulatory influence of these additions to the piglets' diet on the growth and protein metabolism in their body was shown. The positive effect of the introduction of essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and threonine) and sunflower oil to the diet on the taste of the mixed feed, the intensity of its eating and the growth of piglets was shown in the conducted research. The greatest gains in piglets of the 4th experimental group, where the level of ME in the diet was 13.72 MJ, lysine - 13.8 g / kg, methionine and threonine - 9.2 g / kg of the mixed feed were observed. At the same time, the safety of piglets was directly proportional to their average daily gain. The highest it was in piglets of the 4th experimental group (96.7%), and the lowest in the control group (89.7%). The increase of the content of lysine, methionine, threonine and fat in the piglets' diet led to an increase in the blood plasma of proteins level and a decrease of urea and uric acid. A clear tendency to increased total protein concentration in blood, when increasing the intensity of pre-starter mixed feed intake by piglets with the additional introduction of lysine, methionine, threonine and sunflower oil was observed. It follows from these data that if the level of the most limiting essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and threonine) increases in the diet, the synthesis of blood plasma proteins in the liver of piglets increases and this process is stimulated by the addition of fat. At the same time, feeding young piglets with amino acid and fat additions contributed to a decrease in the content of urea and uric acid in blood plasma. A significant influence of the investigated factors on the use of amino acids and metabolic energy in energy processes in the animal body indicated.

Protective Effects of Fucoidan against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Damage in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Simple SummaryHigh levels of production in intensive farming systems make domestic animals like piglets particularly susceptible to oxidative stress, which is detrimental to intestinal homeostasis and function. It is of paramount importance to identify effective and reliable nutrients to counteract oxidative damage to the porcine intestinal epithelium, especially with the recent phasing out of the use of antibiotics in China. This study indicates that fucoidan could ameliorate hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in porcine intestinal epithelial cells, primarily owing to the action of fucoidan to facilitate nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 signals and cellular antioxidant responses. These findings may provide useful implications for practical swine production.This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fucoidan in ameliorating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress to porcine intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-1). The cell viability test was initially performed to screen out appropriate concentrations of H2O2 and fucoidan. After that, cells were exposed to H2O2 in the presence or absence of pre-incubation with fucoidan. Hydrogen peroxide increased the apoptotic and necrotic rate, boosted reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and disturbed the transcriptional expression of genes associated with antioxidant defense and apoptosis in IPEC-1 cells. Pre-incubation with fucoidan inhibited the increases in necrosis and ROS accumulation induced by H2O2. Consistently, in the H2O2-treated IPEC-1 cells, fucoidan normalized the content of reduced glutathione as well as the mRNA abundance of NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 and superoxide dismutase 1 while it prevented the overproduction of malondialdehyde. Moreover, H2O2 stimulated the translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 to the nucleus of IPEC-1 cells, but this increase was further promoted by fucoidan pre-treatment. The results suggest that fucoidan is effective in protecting IPEC-1 cells against oxidative damage induced by H2O2, which may help in developing appropriate strategies for maintaining the intestinal health of young piglets.

PSVIII-12 Comparative characterization of intestinal alkaline phosphatase kinetics in young piglets and human Caco-2 cells

Abstract This study reports the kinetics of young porcine jejunal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) towards the dephosphorylation of ATP, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) at the physiological conditions (pH = 7.4; and at 37 °C) in comparison with the IAP from human Caco-2 cells. The 10-day suckling young porcine jejunal IAP displayed the Km values of 1.26±0.50 mM, 1.35±0.64 mg/mL and 0.290±0.072 mM for the hydrolyses of ATP, LPS and pNPP, respectively; while the respective Km values were 0.030±0.007 mM, 0.66±0.22 mg/mL and 0.033±0.006 mM for the IAP in the Caco-2 cells towards the same set of substrates. In comparison, the Km values of the young porcine jejunal IAP were 2–40 times higher than those of IAP from the human Caco-2 cells. In addition, Pearson correlation analyses showed tight positive correlations (P &amp;lt; 0.001) between IAP activities towards pNPP, ATP and LPS in the piglet and the Caco-2 cells, suggesting that the IAP activity towards pNPP could be used to predict the IAP activities on the physiological substrates of ATP and LPS. Lastly, four AP genes were identified in the genome of Sus scrofa. Three of these porcine AP genes are annotated as intestinal-type alkaline phosphatase (IAP) genes and clustered at the distal end of chromosome 15, namely IAPX1, IAPX2, and IAPX3. The genomic context of APs in the pig genome is highly similar to those in the human genome. We predict that pig IAPX3 (XP_003133777.1) is likely an IAP gene for pigs. Further comparisons in post-translational modification and protein 3-D structure modelling were performed, indicating that the observed differences in kinetic affinity between the young porcine jejunal IAP and the human Caco-2 cell IAP in hydrolyzing ATP, LPS and pNPP might relate to their differences in the coding sequences of the IAP protein, and/or the IAP protein N-glycosylation.

Long-term Effect of Split Iron Dextran/Hemoglobin Supplementation on Erythrocyte and Iron Status, Growth Performance, Carcass Parameters, and Meat Quality of Polish Large White and 990 Line Pigs

Heme is an efficient dietary iron supplement applied in humans and animals to prevent iron deficiency anemia (IDA). We have recently reported that the use of bovine hemoglobin as a dietary source of heme iron efficiently counteracts the development of IDA in young piglets, which is the common problem in pig industry. Here, we used maternal Polish Large White and terminal sire breed (L990) pigs differing in traits for meat production to evaluate the long-term effect of split supplementation with intramuscularly administered small amount of iron dextran and orally given hemoglobin on hematological indices, iron status, growth performance, slaughter traits, and meat quality at the end of fattening. Results of our study show that in pigs of both breeds split supplementation was effective in maintaining physiological values of RBC and blood plasma iron parameters as well as growth performance, carcass parameters, and meat quality traits. Our results prove the effectiveness of split iron supplementation of piglets in a far-reach perspective.

Limited impact of influenza A virus vaccination of piglets in an enzootic infected sow herd

Recent studies have questioned the effect of maternal derived antibodies (MDAs) to protect piglets against infection with influenza A virus (IAV). The lack of protection against IAV infections provided by MDAs has encouraged alternative vaccination strategies targeting young piglets in an attempt to stimulate an early antibody response. There is a lack of studies documenting the efficacy of piglet vaccination. In the present study, we monitored a group of vaccinated and non-vaccinated piglets in a Danish sow herd that initiated piglet vaccination with ¼ dose of an inactivated swine influenza vaccine at the time of castration (day 3–4). A total of 160 piglets from 11 sows were included and either vaccinated with 0.5 mL inactivated swine influenza vaccine or sham-vaccinated. From week 0 until week 6, all included piglets were clinically examined and nasal swapped once per week and weighed at weeks 0, 3 and 6. Blood samples were collected from sows at week 0 and from piglets at week 3. Vaccination of piglets had limited effect on clinical signs, body weight, antibody development and viral shedding, within the first 6 weeks of life. At least 50% of all pigs of each treatment group tested positive for IAV at week 2, and very early onset of IAV shedding was observed. In total, 18 pigs were IAV positive in nasal swabs for more than one consecutive sampling time indicating prolonged shedding and 14 pigs were IAV positive with negative samplings in between indicating re-infection with the same IAV strain.

Ефективність біологічно активного тканинного препарату при вирощуванні поросят

У статті представлені дані щодо вивчення ефективності тканинного препарату "Спленотон", який містить комплекс біологічно активних речовин ліпофільної фракції тканин селезінки великої рогатої худоби і є новою розробкою серед тканинних препаратів. "Спленотон" застосовували відлученим поросятам з ознаками гіпотрофії. Як показали результати проведених досліджень, препарат у рекомендованому виробником дозуванні, способі та кратності застосування не викликав місцевих та загальних побічних реакцій. За даними лабораторних досліджень зразків крові поросят, "Спленотон" не проявляв імунотоксичної, гепатотоксичної та нефротоксичної дії. Препарат добре переносився тваринами, сприяв збільшенню маси тіла поросят та помірній активації гемопоезу.