The domestic pig as human-relevant large animal model to study adaptive antifungal immune responses against airborne Aspergillus fumigatus.

Pulmonary mucosal immune response is critical for preventing opportunistic Aspergillus fumigatus infections. Although fungus-specific CD4 T cells in blood are described to reflect the actual host-pathogen interaction status, little is known about Aspergillus-specific pulmonary T-cell responses. Here, we exploit the domestic pig as human-relevant large animal model and introduce antigen-specific T-cell enrichment in pigs to address Aspergillus-specific T cells in the lung compared to peripheral blood.

A porcine animal model to mimic the restart of enteral nutrition (refeeding-model).

With the aim towards establishing an animal model of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), 12 piglets aged 9 weeks (mean body weight 21 kg) were surgically provided with central venous catheters. Six piglets were nourished parenterally with the objective to reach a 14-d period of TPN; the other six piglets served as control and were fed normally. Only one animal from each group could be monitored over the whole period.

The expression of NKG2D on porcine IEL and its possible relation to the adaptive intestinal immune system.

The gastrointestinal tract contains a multitude of components which include intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). IELs have been reported to express a variety of surface receptors that enable cross talk among various cell populations. The purpose of the reported investigation was to determine which IEL populations express the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D which is an activating receptor that plays a role in cytolytic responses.

MicroRNA Response of Primary Human Macrophages to Arcobacter Butzleri Infection.

The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in infectious diseases is becoming more and more apparent, and the use of miRNAs as a diagnostic tool and their therapeutic application has become the major focus of investigation. The aim of this study was to identify miRNAs involved in the immune signaling of macrophages in response to Arcobacter (A.) butzleri infection, an emerging foodborne pathogen causing gastroenteritis.

Bovine milk-based formula leads to early maturation-like morphological, immunological, and functional changes in the jejunum of neonatal piglets.

Artificial rearing and formula feeding is coming more into the focus due to increasing litter sizes and limited nursing capacity of sows. The formula composition is important to effectively support the development of the gut and prevent intestinal dysfunction in neonatal piglets. In this study, newborn piglets ( = 8 per group) were fed a bovine milk-based formula (FO), containing skimmed milk and whey as the sole protein and carbohydrate sources, or were suckled by the sow (sow milk [SM]).