Effects of dietary protein level on intestinal function and inflammation in nursery pigs.

High crude protein (CP; 21% to 26%) diets fed during the first 21 to 28 d postweaning are viewed negatively because of a perceived increase in the incidence rates of diarrhea due to increased intestinal protein fermentation and/or augmented enteric pathogen burden. This is thought to antagonize nursery pig health and growth performance. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the impact of low vs.

Strategies to manage barn feed supply to prolong and hold late finishing pigs during a supply chain disruption.

The U.S. pork production system is sensitive to supply chain disruptions, including those that can create challenges of feed delivery and feed management during the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

Acute infection with affects mucin expression, glycosylation, and fecal MUC5AC.

Introduction: Infection with strongly strains of leads to swine dysentery (SD), a production-limiting disease that causes mucohemorrhagic diarrhea and typhlocolitis in pigs. This pathogen has strong chemotactic activity toward mucin, and infected pigs often have a disorganized mucus layer and marked expression of MUC5AC, which is not constitutively expressed in the colon. It has been shown that fucose is chemoattractant for , and a highly fermentable fiber diet can mitigate and delay the onset of SD.

Soluble corn fiber, resistant corn starch, and protected butyrate effects on performance, gastrointestinal volatile fatty acids, and apparent total-tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus in nursery pigs.

An experiment was conducted to determine how feeding calcium (Ca)-deficient diet would affect gastrointestinal pH and volatile fatty acids (VFAs), Ca digestibility, bone mineral density (BMD), and performance in nursery pigs; and if supplementation of nondigestible oligosaccharides would affect these same parameters. In total, 240 weaned pigs (BW = 7.1 kg) were placed into 80 pens with 3 pigs/pen.

Intestinal location- and age-specific variation of intraepithelial T lymphocytes and mucosal microbiota in pigs.

Intraepithelial T lymphocytes (T-IELs) are T cells located within the epithelium that provide a critical line of immune defense in the intestinal tract. In pigs, T-IEL abundances and phenotypes are used to infer putative T-IEL functions and vary by intestinal location and age, though investigations regarding porcine T-IELs are relatively limited. In this study, we expand on analyses of porcine intestinal T-IELs to include additional phenotypic designations not previously recognized in pigs.

BONE MINERAL DENSITY DETERMINED BY DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY METHOD FOR EGYPTIAN FRUIT BATS () IN HUMAN CARE.

Egyptian fruit bats () are commonly held within zoos and research facilities. Despite this popularity, there have been no publications regarding normal bone density or bone mineral concentration and few publications regarding the normal dietary requirements of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D (25-hydrox-vitamin D [25(OH)D]) for the species. A clinical investigation into frequent fractures in a zoo population of 23 adult male Egyptian fruit bats used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) prior to and after dietary adjustment of calcium and phosphorus.

Evaluation of digestively resistant or soluble fibers, short- and medium-chain fatty acids, trace minerals, and antibiotics in nonchallenged nursery pigs on performance, digestibility, and intestinal integrity.

Three experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the effect of feed additives on performance, intestinal integrity, gastrointestinal volatile fatty acids (VFA), and energy and nutrient digestion in nonchallenged nursery pigs. In EXP 1, 480 pigs (6.36-kg body weight, BW) were placed into 96 pens with 5 pigs/pen, and allotted to 1 of 10 dietary treatments: 1) negative control containing no feed additive (NC), 2) NC + 44 mg chlortetracycline and 38.

Functions of manganese in reproduction.

Manganese (Mn) is the twelfth most abundant element in the earth's crust and is widely distributed throughout the surface of the planet, naturally occurring in rocks, soil, water, and food. As an essential trace mineral in diets, Mn is required for a variety of metabolic functions including skeletal system development, energy metabolism, enzyme activation, nervous system function, immune system function, and reproductive hormone function. Manganese has effects on reproductive hormone function as a cofactor for enzymes necessary for cholesterol synthesis.

The Use of Attractants to Stimulate Neonatal Piglet Interest in Rope Enrichment.

In the United States swine industry, preweaning mortality represents the highest mortality rate of any production phase, nearly half attributed to crushing. The overarching aim of this study was to determine if enrichment ropes would entice neonatal piglets away from the sow and reduce preweaning mortality. Rope enrichments were provided to 161 piglets from 26 sows after farrowing.

Innovative strategies for managing swine welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization and its impact on animal agriculture in the United States was undeniable. By April, COVID-19 resulted in the simultaneous closure or reduced operations of many meat processing plants in the upper Midwest, leading to supply chain disruptions. In Iowa, the leading pork production and processing state, these disruptions caused producer uncertainty, confusion, and stress, including time-sensitive challenges for maintaining animal care.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response in jejunal epithelial cells of weaned pigs.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection leads to diarrhea and subsequently to decreased feed efficiency and growth in weaned pigs. Given that few studies have addressed the host-virus interaction in vivo, this study focused on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) in jejunal epithelial cells during PEDV infection. Eight-week-old pigs ( = 64) were orally inoculated with PEDV IN19338 strain ( = 40) or sham-inoculated ( = 24) and analyzed for PEDV viral RNA shedding using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and for viral antigen within enterocytes using immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Circulating biomarkers associated with pelvic organ prolapse risk in late gestation sows.

Sow mortality, as the result of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), has been increasing in the last decade in the U.S. swine industry.

Lawsonia intracellularis infected enterocytes lack sucrase-isomaltase which contributes to reduced pig digestive capacity.

Lawsonia intracellularis is endemic to swine herds worldwide, however much is still unknown regarding its impact on intestinal function. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the impact of L. intracellularis on digestive function, and how vaccination mitigates these impacts.

Evaluation of increased fiber, decreased amino acids, or decreased electrolyte balance as dietary approaches to slow finishing pig growth rates.

In swine production, pig movement restrictions or packing plant closures may create the need to slow growth rates of finishing pigs to ensure they remain at a marketable body weight when packing plant access is restored. Although dietary formulations can be successful at slowing pig growth, precision is needed regarding how to best formulate diets to achieve growth rate reductions. Thus, the objective was to evaluate three dietary experimental approaches aimed at slowing growth rates in finishing pigs.

Highly Fermentable Fiber Alters Fecal Microbiota and Mitigates Swine Dysentery Induced by .

is an etiological agent of swine dysentery (SD). Diet fermentability plays a role in development of SD, but the mechanism(s) of action are largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether replacing lowly fermentable fiber with highly fermentable fiber would mitigate a 42 d challenge.

Nutritional approaches to slow late finishing pig growth: implications on carcass composition and pork quality.

Although pork producers typically aim to optimize growth rates, occasionally it is necessary to slow growth, such as when harvest facility capacity is limited. In finishing pigs, numerous dietary strategies can be used to slow growth so pigs are at optimal slaughter body weights when harvest facility capacity and/or access is restored. However, the impact of these diets on pork carcass quality is largely unknown.

Infection Reduces Digestive Function but Not Intestinal Integrity in Growing Pigs While Disease Onset Can Be Mitigated by Reducing Insoluble Fiber.

Swine dysentery () induced by manifests as mucohemorrhagic diarrhea in pigs, but little is known about the changes that occur to the gastrointestinal tract during this disease. It is thought that dietary fibers alter disease pathogenesis, although the mechanisms of action are unclear. Thus, the objectives of this study were to characterize intestinal integrity, metabolism, and function in pigs during SD and determine if replacing insoluble fiber with fermentable fibers mitigates disease.

The Role of Genomic Island 4 in Metal Tolerance of Serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- Pork Outbreak Isolate USDA15WA-1.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR; resistance to >3 antimicrobial classes) serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- strains were linked to a 2015 foodborne outbreak from pork. Strain USDA15WA-1, associated with the outbreak, harbors an MDR module and the metal tolerance element Genomic Island 4 (SGI-4). Characterization of SGI-4 revealed that conjugational transfer of SGI-4 resulted in the mobile genetic element (MGE) replicating as a plasmid or integrating into the chromosome.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of absorptive enterocytes and depletion of Peyer's patch M cells after PEDV infection.

This study focused on intestinal restitution including phenotype switching of absorptive enterocytes and the abundance of different enterocyte subtypes in weaned pigs after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection. At 10 days post-PEDV-inoculation, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in both jejunum and ileum had restored, and the PEDV antigen was not detectable. However, enterocytes at the villus tips revealed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the jejunum in which E-cadherin expression decreased while expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, and Snail increased.

Alterations in Intestinal Innate Mucosal Immunity of Weaned Pigs During Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infection.

In the small intestine, localized innate mucosal immunity is critical for intestinal homeostasis. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection induces villus injury and impairs digestive function. Moreover, the infection might comprise localized innate mucosal immunity.

The effect of lactose and a prototype fermentation product on digestibility, nitrogen balance, and intestinal function of weaned pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of lactose (LA) and a prototype fermentation product (FP) on growth performance, diet digestibility, nitrogen (N) balance, and intestinal function of weaned pigs. Twenty-eight newly weaned pigs [approximately 21 d of age; initial body weight (BW) = 5.20 ± 0.

Intraepithelial T Cells Diverge by Intestinal Location as Pigs Age.

T cells resident within the intestinal epithelium play a central role in barrier integrity and provide a first line of immune defense. Intraepithelial T cells (IETs) are among the earliest immune cells to populate and protect intestinal tissues, thereby giving them an important role in shaping gut health early in life. In pigs, IETs are poorly defined, and their maturation in young pigs has not been well-studied.

Dietary Soluble and Insoluble Fiber With or Without Enzymes Altered the Intestinal Microbiota in Weaned Pigs Challenged With Enterotoxigenic F18.

Post-weaning diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic (ETEC) causes significant economic losses for pig producers. This study was to test the hypotheses that an ETEC challenge disrupts intestinal microbial homeostasis and the inclusion of dietary soluble (10% sugar beet pulp) or insoluble fiber (15% corn distillers dried grains with solubles) with or without exogenous carbohydrases will protect or restore the gut microbial homeostasis in weaned pigs. Sixty crossbred piglets (6.

Increasing the ratio of SID lysine to metabolizable energy improves pig performance during a viral challenge.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) compromises pig performance. However, increasing standardized ileal digestible Lys per Mcal metabolizable energy (SID Lys:ME) above requirement has been shown to mitigate reduced performance seen during a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing the dietary SID Lys:ME from 100% National Research Council (NRC) requirement to 120% of the requirement in vaccinated (vac+; modified live vaccine Ingelvac PRRS) and non-vaccinated (vac-; no PRRS vaccine) grower pigs subjected to a PRRSV challenge.

Impact of viral disease hypophagia on pig jejunal function and integrity.

Pathogen challenges are often accompanied by reductions in feed intake, making it difficult to differentiate impacts of reduced feed intake from impacts of pathogen on various response parameters. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV) and feed intake on parameters of jejunal function and integrity in growing pigs. Twenty-four pigs (11.