Publication Database

The impact of glutamine supplementation on morphological gut development, immune cells, tissue and digesta amino acid profiles, microbiota and bacterial metabolites in low birthweight and normal birthweight male suckling piglets (2023)

Art

Hochschulschrift

Autor

Schulze Holthausen, Johannes (WE 4)

Quelle

Berlin, 2023 — IX, 123 Seiten

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/39122

Kontakt

Institut für Tierernährung

Königin-Luise-Str. 49
14195 Berlin
+49 30 838 52256
tierernaehrung@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Due to the breeding of hyperprolific sows with large litters size, the number of low birthweight piglets (LBW) increased in the last decade. Low birthweight piglets show a higher preweaning mortality and reduced growth performance. The high mortality cannot be accepted regarding animal welfare and the reduced growth performance leads to economic losses. Promising results of glutamine (Gln) supplementation to piglets were observed at weaning and under stressful conditions, such as infections, leading to better gut development and growth. An important aspect of the non-essential amino acid Gln is, the function as an energy fuel for enterocytes and immune cells of the intestine. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Gln supplementation on gut and immune cell development, amino acid absorption, the microbiota and their metabolites in LBW male suckling piglets. To test the effect of Gln on male suckling piglets an animal trial was performed. LBW (0.8–1.2 kg) and normal birthweight (NBW) (1.4–1.8 kg) male littermates born to gilts were paired at birth. The piglets received an oral supplementation of either 1 g Gln or an isonitrogenous amount of alanine (Ala) (1.22 g/kg BW) until 12 d of age. In total four different groups were studied: LBW+Gln; NBW+ Gln; LBW+Ala; NBW+Ala (n = 12/age group). The piglets had free access to suckle the dam throughout the study. At 5 and 12 d of life (n = 96) piglets were euthanized. Tissue and digesta of the jejunum and colon were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen or fixed in formalin for subsequent analysis. Interestingly the supplementation of Gln led to no differences in most of the investigated parameters in the jejunum. Glutamine supplementation had no effect on jejunal morphology, development, tissue and digesta amino acid profiles and mRNA abundance of genes involved in amino acid transport, metabolism, glutathione synthesis in LBW piglets compared Ala supplementation and birthweight (BiW) at 5 and 12 d of age. Only the jejunal tissue Gln concentration was higher in NBW piglets supplemented with Gln compared to Ala at 5 d of age. The BiW comparisons revealed no difference between LBW and NBW piglets. However, age seemed to have the biggest effect, because morphological characteristics, immune cells, the ratio of jejunal RNA to DNA and the concentration DNA, protein and RNA, as well as amino acid profiles changed from 5 compared to 12 d in suckling piglets. In the colon we observed similar effects. Concentrations of biogenic amines were lower and the number of CD3+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were higher in Gln compared to Ala supplemented piglets. Low birthweight of piglets had minor effects on the microbial composition and led to a lower concentration of some biogenic amines and IEL. In contrast to Gln supplementation and BiW the factor age had a major influence on histological and microbial characteristics in male suckling piglets. In conclusion, the oral supplementation of Gln and the BiW of piglets had only minor effects on the observed parameters in the distal small intestine and the colon of suckling piglets, whereas age had a major impact. This indicates, that the intestinal development is mainly driven by ontogenetic factors during the suckling period of piglets.