A study was conducted with 20 weaned barrows (14 d, 4.98 +/- .21 kg) to determine the effect of spray-dried plasma (SDP) on the pig's immune response to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. After weaning, pigs were fed a diet containing 0 or 7% SDP for 7 d. On d 6 postweaning, all pigs were fitted with a jugular catheter. On d 7 postweaning, the pigs were given an i.p. injection of either saline or LPS (150 microg/kg BW) followed by a 3-h blood collection every 15 min. Following blood collection, all pigs were killed and tissue was collected for mRNA analysis. Additionally, the small intestine was collected for measurement of villus height, crypt depth, and villus height:crypt depth ratio (VCR) at three sites (25, 50, and 75% of the total length). Feeding SDP resulted in reduced (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA in the adrenal gland, spleen, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and liver. Additionally, expression of IL-6 mRNA was reduced (P < 0.05) in the spleen and pituitary gland for pigs fed SDP. For pigs fed the diet with SDP, LPS administration did not affect (P > 0.10) cytokine mRNA expression, whereas LPS reduced expression of TNF-alpha mRNA in the spleen and IL-1beta mRNA in the adrenal gland, spleen, and thymus for pigs fed the diet without SDP. For pigs fed the diet with SDP, LPS caused serum TNF-alpha to increase 150-fold compared to a 60-fold increase for pigs fed the diet without SDP. Similarly, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) increased 110-fold for pigs fed the diet with SDP compared to a 16-fold increase for pigs fed the diet without SDP. For pigs fed the diet with SDP, LPS caused major villus atrophy, whereas for pigs fed the diet without SDP, LPS had no effect on intestinal morphology. These results demonstrate that the basal activation of the immune system appears to be less for pigs fed the diet with SDP compared to pigs fed the diet without SDP after weaning. Additionally, for pigs fed the diet with SDP, there appeared to be an overresponse of the immune system following LPS administration, which resulted in major damage to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Orexin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that regulates feeding behavior in rats. Orexin-B has recently been cloned in pigs and was shown to stimulate food intake after intramuscular injection. This study was designed to determine whether intracerebroventricular (ICV) and intravenous injections of orexin could regulate appetite in sheep. Suffolk wethers were moved to indoor facilities, adapted to diets for 6 wk, and trained to stand in stanchions for 3 to 6 h each day for 2 wk before indwelling ICV cannulas were installed. These sheep were provided water and they consumed feed ad libitum. On the day before an experiment, each sheep was cannulated in a jugular vein. On the day of an experiment, sheep were placed in stanchions and allowed to stand for 1 h before use. Sheep were then monitored over a 2-h control period before i.v. injection with saline or porcine orexin-B (3 micrograms/kg BW) or ICV injection with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), orexin (0.03, 0.3, or 3 micrograms/kg BW) or in a second experiment with either orexin B (0.03, 0.3, 3 micrograms/kg BW), neuropeptide-Y (NPY; 0.3 microgram/kg BW), or orexin plus NPY. Food intake was monitored for consecutive 2-h periods. The i.v. injections of orexin did not affect food intake or metabolite or hormone concentrations. In ICV sheep, orexin increased food intake at 2 (P < 0.04) and at 4 h (P < 0.02). Food intake was greatest with the 0.3 microgram/kg BW dosage of orexin (P < 0.05). In the first 2 h after injection, orexin had an effect similar to that of NPY (0.23 kg for orexin and 0.2 kg for NPY). The combination of NPY and orexin had a greater effect on food intake (to 0.34 kg) than did either orexin (P < 0.05) or NPY (P < 0.008) alone. Differences were not apparent in the subsequent 2-h interval. No differences were noted in free fatty acid, glucose, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, or insulin concentrations following orexin injection. There was an effect of ICV orexin treatment on plasma cortisol concentrations (P < 0.002). Cortisol was increased by orexin at the 0- to 2-h (P < 0.008) and in the 2- to 4-h (P < 0.009) intervals after orexin injection. These data indicate that central administration of orexin stimulates feed intake in sheep.