A microencapsulated blend of botanicals supports weaning piglets during a lipopolysaccharide challenge by modulating liver inflammation and intestinal integrity.

This study examined the action of a blend of botanicals (BOT) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on cultured hepatocytes and weaning piglets. In vitro studies examined HepG2 cells treated with BOT and challenged with Escherichiacoli LPS for 8 d. BOT treatment reduced IL-6 concentration in cell culture media across time (P < 0.

Calcium trafficking and gastrointestinal physiology following an acute lipopolysaccharide challenge in pigs.

The influence of systemic immune activation on whole-body calcium (Ca) trafficking and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) physiology is not clear. Thus, the study objectives were to characterize the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on Ca pools and GIT dynamics to increase understanding of immune-induced hypocalcemia, ileus, and stomach hemorrhaging. Twelve crossbred pigs [44 ± 3 kg body weight (BW)] were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intramuscular treatments: (1) control (CON; 2 mL saline; n = 6) or (2) LPS (40 µg LPS/kg BW; n = 6).

Intestinal Damages by F18 and Its Amelioration with an Antibacterial Bacitracin Fed to Nursery Pigs.

This study investigated intestinal oxidative damage caused by F18 and its amelioration with antibacterial bacitracin fed to nursery pigs. Thirty-six weaned pigs (6.31 ± 0.

Tributyrin, a Butyrate Pro-Drug, Primes Satellite Cells for Differentiation by Altering the Epigenetic Landscape.

Satellite cells (SC) are a population of muscle resident stem cells that are responsible for postnatal muscle growth and repair. With investigation into the genomic regulation of SC fate, the role of the epigenome in governing SC myogenesis is becoming clearer. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been demonstrated to be effective at enhancing the myogenic program of SC, but their role in altering the epigenetic landscape of SC remains undetermined.

Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Amounts Affect Development and Tissue-Specific Stem Cell Characteristics in Neonatal Pigs.

Background: Dietary calcium and phosphorus are required for bone and muscle development. Deficiencies of these macrominerals reduce bone mineral and muscle accretion potentially via alterations of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and satellite cell (SC) activities.

Objectives: With increasing interest in the role of early-life events on lifetime health outcomes, we aimed to elucidate the impact of dietary calcium and phosphorus, from deficiency through excess, on MSC and SC characteristics during neonatal development.

Butyric acid induces spontaneous adipocytic differentiation of porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Butyric acid (BA) affects the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) through the activation of different transcriptional pathways. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of BA on proliferation and spontaneous differentiation of porcine bone marrow-derived MSC. Second passage MSC (n = 6) were cultured in either a basal medium (BM, DMEM + 10% FBS), or BM + 2.

Dietary tributyrin, an HDAC inhibitor, promotes muscle growth through enhanced terminal differentiation of satellite cells.

Muscle growth and repair rely on two main mechanisms - myonuclear accretion and subsequent protein accumulation. Altering the ability of muscle resident stem cells (satellite cells) to progress through their myogenic lineage can have a profound effect on lifetime muscle growth and repair. The use of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, butyrate, has had positive outcomes on the in vitro promotion of satellite cell myogenesis.

A Sublethal Swine Model for Defining In Vivo Superantigen-Induced Responses Following Exposure to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B.

In vivo responses to bacterially derived superantigen-like toxins have been difficult to define due to the inherent limitations with rodent models and the relevance that the results obtained from such models may, or may not, have for human pathophysiology. Further the use of challenge doses of superantigen toxins that are lethal or supra-lethal complicates analogies to human exposures which are rarely fatal. Here, we utilize the superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, at doses that are sublethal in a swine model of toxin-induced incapacitation.

Broad and efficient control of major foodborne pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli by mixtures of plant-produced colicins.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is one of the leading causes of bacterial enteric infections worldwide, causing ∼100,000 illnesses, 3,000 hospitalizations, and 90 deaths annually in the United States alone. These illnesses have been linked to consumption of contaminated animal products and vegetables. Currently, other than thermal inactivation, there are no effective methods to eliminate pathogenic bacteria in food.

Impact of dietary organic acids and botanicals on intestinal integrity and inflammation in weaned pigs.

Background: Organic acids, such as citric and sorbic acid, and pure plant-derived constituents, like monoterpens and aldehydes, have a long history of use in pig feeding as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. However, their effects on the intestinal barrier function and inflammation have never been investigated. Therefore, aim of this study was to assess the impact of a microencapsulated mixture of citric acid and sorbic acid (OA) and pure botanicals, namely thymol and vanillin, (PB) on the intestinal integrity and functionality of weaned pigs and in vitro on Caco-2 cells.

The suckling piglet as an agrimedical model for the study of pediatric nutrition and metabolism.

The neonatal pig ranks among the most prominent research models for the study of pediatric nutrition and metabolism. Its precocial development at birth affords ready adaptation to artificial rearing systems, and research using this model spans a wide array of nutrients. Sophisticated in vitro and in vivo methodologies supporting both invasive, reduction-science research as well as whole-animal preclinical investigations have been developed.

Dietary calcium deficiency and excess both impact bone development and mesenchymal stem cell lineage priming in neonatal piglets.

Background: Optimizing calcium nutrition to maximize bone accretion during growth to prevent fragility fractures later in life has spurred greater interest in calcium nutrition in neonates.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary calcium, from deficiency through excess, on bone growth, and the in vivo and in vitro behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in neonatal pigs.

Methods: Twenty-four male and female piglets (24 ± 6 h old) were fed either a calcium-deficient [Ca-D; 0.

Dietary supplementation of Bifidobacterium longum strain AH1206 increases its cecal abundance and elevates intestinal interleukin-10 expression in the neonatal piglet.

Intestinal microbiota of infants differ in response to gestational age, delivery mode and feeding regimen. Dietary supplementation of probiotic bacteria is one method of promoting healthy populations. We examined the impact of a novel probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium longum (AH1206) on the health, growth and development of neonatal pigs as a model for infants.

Sublethal staphylococcal enterotoxin B challenge model in pigs to evaluate protection following immunization with a soybean-derived vaccine.

In an effort to develop a sustainable platform for manufacturing protein-based vaccine candidates, we expressed a triple mutant of staphylococcal enterotoxin B carrying the L45R, Y89A, and Y94A modifications in transgenic soybean seeds (soy-mSEB). Soy-mSEB possessed no detectable superantigen activity in vitro. We found that this soybean-derived, nontoxic mutant of SEB could be stably expressed, stored in seeds for extended periods at room temperature without degradation, and easily purified from contaminating soy proteins.

Neonatal phosphate nutrition alters in vivo and in vitro satellite cell activity in pigs.

Satellite cell activity is necessary for postnatal skeletal muscle growth. Severe phosphate (PO(4)) deficiency can alter satellite cell activity, however the role of neonatal PO(4) nutrition on satellite cell biology remains obscure. Twenty-one piglets (1 day of age, 1.

Dietary calcium restriction affects mesenchymal stem cell activity and bone development in neonatal pigs.

The effects of dietary calcium (Ca) deficiency on skeletal integrity are well characterized in growing and mature mammals; however, less is known about Ca nutrition during the neonatal period. In this study, we examined the effects of neonatal Ca nutrition on bone integrity, endocrine hormones, and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) activity. Neonatal pigs (24 ± 6 h of age) received either a Ca-adequate (1.

Dietary phosphate restriction decreases stem cell proliferation and subsequent growth potential in neonatal pigs.

Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and satellite cells are essential for postnatal muscle and bone development and phosphate (PO(4)) restriction reduces both muscle and skeletal tissue growth, no research to our knowledge has investigated the possible mechanism by which this mineral may affect early cell programming. Twenty piglets obtained at 1 d of age (1.8 +/- 0.

Application of colicin E1 as a prefabrication intervention strategy.

Colicin E1 (ColE1) is a bacteriocin produced by and effective against Escherichia coli and related species. The current study examined ColE1 as a potential intervention strategy for controlling E. coli O157:H7 contamination on beef carcasses.

Dihydroxy-cholecalciferol stimulates adipocytic differentiation of porcine mesenchymal stem cells.

Dihydroxy-cholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3] has been shown to have pleiotropic effects on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) based on species and culture conditions. We have examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the differentiation of porcine MSC under culture conditions designed to promote proliferation in order to attempt to mimic the conditions in young, rapidly growing animals. The MSC were isolated from bone marrow of a young pig and grown in basal media (BM) containing DMEM+10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics.

Physical activity prevents augmented body fat accretion in moderately iron-deficient rats.

Recent studies describe an association between poor iron status and obesity in humans, although the mechanism explaining this relationship is unclear. The present study aimed to determine the effect of moderate iron deficiency and physical activity (PA) on body composition in an animal model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats consumed iron-adequate (IA; 40 mg/kg) or moderately iron-deficient (ID; 9 mg/kg) diets ad libitum for 12 wk.

Inhibitory activity of colicin E1 against Listeria monocytogenes.

Colicins are gram-negative bacteriocins produced by and effective against Escherichia coli and related species. Colicin E1 (ColE1) is composed of three functional domains, which collectively have a pore-forming effect on targeted bacteria. ColE1 binding and translocation domains are highly specific in contrast to the pore-forming domain, implying that ColE1 could be broadly effective.

Moderate zinc deficiency negatively affects biomechanical properties of rat tibiae independently of body composition.

To guide development of novel nutritional strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of stress fractures, we observed the effects of manipulating dietary zinc (Zn) content on bone integrity in Sprague-Dawley rats fed either a severely Zn-deficient (ZnD; 1 ppm), a moderately Zn-deficient (MZnD; 5 ppm) or a Zn-adequate (ZnAD; 30 ppm) diet for 6 weeks. At the completion of the diet period, body composition, bone mineral content (BMC), bone area (BA) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined in vivo by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Following euthanasia, long bones were collected for determination of Zn content and biomechanical strength testing.

Genetic background influences metabolic response to dietary phosphorus restriction.

Dietary phosphorus (P) is essential to bone growth and turnover; however, little research has focused on the genetic mechanisms controlling P utilization. Understanding the interactions between genetics and dietary P that optimize bone integrity could provide novel interventions for osteoporosis. Thirty-six pigs from two sire lines known to differ in bone structure [heavier boned (HB) and lighter boned (LB)] were assigned to one of the three diets (P adequate, P repletion or P deficient).

Effects of dietary phytase on body weight gain, body composition and bone strength in growing rats fed a low-zinc diet.

Phytic acid, a major phosphorous storage compound found in foodstuffs, is known to form insoluble complexes with nutritionally essential minerals, including zinc (Zn). Phytases are enzymes that catalyze the removal of these minerals from phytic acid, improving their bioavailability. The objective of the present study was to determine the ability of dietary phytase to affect body weight, body composition, and bone strength in growing rats fed a high phytic acid, low Zn diet.