Acetylsalicylic acid supplementation improves protein utilization efficiency while vitamin E supplementation reduces markers of the inflammatory response in weaned pigs challenged with enterotoxigenic E.coli

Background: This experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that vitamin E(Vit E) and acetylsalicylic acid(ASA), a cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) inhibitor, will additively reduce the production of the immunosuppressive molecule prostaglandin E_2(PGE_2) and hence reduce inflammatory responses in weaner pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli.Methods: The experiment was conducted in a research facility with 192 individually-housed male weaner pigs(Landrace × Large White) weighing 6.6 ± 0.04 kg(mean ± SEM). The pigs were experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli and were allocated to a 2 × 3 factorial design with the respective factors being without and with 125 ppm ASA and three levels of Vit E supplementation(50, 100 or 200 IU/kg diet, dl-α-tocopheryl acetate).Results: Acetylsalicylic acid supplementation improved average daily gain(P < 0.05) and tended to improve feed:gain ratio(P < 0.10) during the first 14 d after weaning. Acetylsalicylic acid supplementation also improved(P < 0.001) amino acid utilization efficiency(as assessed by plasma urea level) and tended to decrease(P < 0.10) PGE_2 production in the liver without affecting smal intestinal histology and tight junction protein mR NA expression in the jejunal epithelium. Vitamin E supplementation greater than 100 IU/kg diet sustained both the plasma Vit E concentration(P < 0.001) and plasma haptoglobin content(P < 0.001) after weaning. However, there was no additive effects of the combined supplementation of ASA and Vit E on performance, intestinal barrier function and inflammatory responses of weaned pigs.Conclusions: Although ASA and vitamin E improved amino acid utilization efficiency and reduced acute inflammatory responses, ASA and vitamin E did not additively reduce production of PGE_2 and inflammatory responses in weaner pigs experimental y infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli.

Effect of mucin 4 allele on susceptibility to experimental infection with enterotoxigenic F4 Escherichia coli in pigs fed experimental diets

Background: This study investigated the validity of the DNA-marker based test to determine susceptibility to ETECF4 diarrhoea by comparing the results of two DNA sequencing techniques in weaner pigs following experimental infection with F4 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC-F4). The effects of diet and genetic susceptibility were assessed by measuring the incidence of piglet post-weaning diarrhoea(PWD), faecal E. coli shedding and the diarrhoea index.Results: A DNA marker-based test targeting the mucin 4 gene(MUC4) that encodes F4 fimbria receptor identified pigs as either fully susceptible(SS), partially or mildly susceptible(SR), and resistant(RR) to developing ETEC-F4 diarrhoea. To further analyse this, DNA sequencing was undertaken, and a significantly higher proportion of C nucleotides was observed for RR and SR at the Xba I cleavage site genotypes when compared to SS. However, no significant difference was found between SR and RR genotypes. Therefore, results obtained from Sanger sequencing retrospectively allocated pigs into a resistant genotype(MUC4–), in the case of a C nucleotide, and a susceptible genotype(MUC4+), in the case of a G nucleotide, at the single nucleotide polymorphism site. A total of 72 weaner pigs(age ~ 21 days), weighing 6.1 ± 1.2 kg(mean ± SEM), were fed 3 different diets:(i) positive control(PC) group supplemented with 3 g/kg zinc oxide(Zn O),(ii) negative control(NC) group(no Zn O or HAMSA),and(iii) a diet containing a 50 g/kg high-amylose maize starch product(HAMSA) esterified with acetate. At days five and six after weaning, all pigs were orally infected with ETEC(serotype O149:F4;toxins LT1, ST1, ST2 and EAST). The percentage of pigs that developed diarrhoea following infection was higher(P = 0.05) in MUC4+ pigs compared to MUC4– pigs(50% vs. 26.8%, respectively). Furthermore, pigs fed Zn O had less ETEC-F4 diarrhoea(P = 0.009) than pigs fed other diets, however faecal shedding of ETEC was similar(P > 0.05) between diets.Conclusion: These results confirm that MUC4+ pigs have a higher prevalence of ETEC-F4 diarrhoea following exposure, and that pigs fed Zn O, irrespective of MUC4 status, have reduced ETEC-F4 diarrhoea. Additionally,sequencing or quantifying the single nucleotide polymorphism distribution at the Xba I cleavage site may be more reliable in identifying genotypic susceptibility when compared to traditional methods.