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Characteristic mucosal lesions develop in the small intestine during ischaemia and hypotension. This tissue damage can be further aggravated in the immediate reperfusion phase, presumably secondary to the generation of oxygen free radicals which have been proposed to be generated in this situation through the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system. This was further investigated in the cat small intestine using a standardized regional intestinal hypotension model in which the effects of allopurinol (a xanthine oxidase inhibitor) were compared to those of an exogenous supply of inosine. The grade of mucosal damage, the nucleotide levels, the concentrations of hypoxanthine, total and oxidized glutathione, and of conjugated dienes were measured in the intestinal tissue. The results indicate that oxygen radicals generated by xanthine oxidase are very important, but not the only significant factor in the small intestinal reperfusion damage.

Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are common food contaminants produced by Fusarium sp. Mycotoxins are a potential health hazard because of their toxicological effects on both humans and farmed animals. Methods: We analyzed three groups of pigs: a control group (fed a standard diet), and the DON and ZEN groups, fed a diet containing 8 mg/kg DON and 0.8 mg/kg ZEN respectively, for four weeks. Results: DON and ZEN exposure decreased body weight (BW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), food conversion rate (FCR), and the serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. The total antioxidant levels significantly decreased in serum and increased in urine samples of both treatment groups. Additionally, DON and ZEN exposure increased serotonin levels in urine. Hematological parameters were not affected by the investigated toxins. Microscopic lesions were evident in sections of kidneys from either treatment group: we found sporadic interstitial nephritis in the DON group and renal glomerulus atrophy in the ZEN group. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokine marker genes were reduced in tissues from DON- and ZEN-exposed pigs. Conclusions: chronic ingestion of high doses of DON and ZEN alters the immune response and causes organs damage, and might be associated with various diseases in pigs.

The sausage samples were made from pork with spent laying hen breast surimi. The samples were divided into 4 groups [sausage made from pork (control) and sausage made from pork with 20% (T1), 40% (T2), and 60% (T3) of spent laying hen breast surimi]. In proximate compositions, the moisture and ash contents of the control were higher than sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples in all storage periods. The pH and cooking loss were higher in T3 compared with other sausage samples. However, there was no significant difference in water-holding capacity among the sausage samples, whereas shear force was significantly higher in T2. In meat color, sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples (T1, T2, and T3) have shown to have higher lightness (L) compared with control, and redness (a) was significantly higher in control and T1. Total amino acid content and essential amino acids were increased in sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples at 0 d of storage. In fatty acid composition, saturated fatty acid was higher in control than sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value was lower in sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples than control at 2 and 4 wk of storage. Cholesterol content was lower in control compared with sausage containing spent laying hen surimi samples. In sensory evaluation, most test items were not significantly different among the sausage samples although tenderness was higher in T2 and T3 at 0 d of storage.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) can seriously affect animal health, with potentially severe economic losses. Previous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota plays a significant role in detoxification. We analyzed the colon contents from three groups of pigs (fed either a standard diet, or a diet with 8 mg/kg DON or ZEN). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were obtained from the colon contents, and sequenced using next-generation sequencing on the MiSeq platform. Overall, 2,444,635 gene sequences were generated, with ≥2000 sequences examined. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in all three groups. The sequences of Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, and Faecalibacterium genera, and the unclassified Clostridiaceae family, represented more than 1.2% of the total, with significantly different abundances among the groups. Lactobacillus was especially more abundant in the DON (7.6%) and ZEN (2.7%) groups than in the control (0.2%). A total of 48,346 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in the three groups. Two OTUs, classified as Lactobacillus, were the most dominant in the DON and ZEN groups. The abundances of the remaining OTUs were also significantly different among the groups. Thus, the mycotoxin-contaminated feed significantly affected the colon microbiota, especially Lactobacillus, which was the most abundant. Therefore, we speculate that Lactobacillus plays a major role in detoxification of these mycotoxins.

The gut microbiota in chicken has long been studied, mostly from the perspective of growth performance. However, there are some immunological studies regarding gut homeostasis in chicken. Although CD4+CD25+ T cells are reported to act as regulatory T cells (Tregs) in chicken, there have been no studies showing the relationship between gut microbiota and Tregs. Therefore, we established a model for ‘antibiotics (ABX)-treated chickens’ through administration of an antibiotic cocktail consisting of ampicillin, gentamycin, neomycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin in water for 7 days. CD4+CD8−CD25+ and CD4+CD8+CD25+ T cells in cecal tonsils were significantly decreased in this model. Gram-positive bacteria, especially Clostridia, was responsible for the changes in CD4+CD8−CD25+ or CD4+CD8+CD25+ T cells in cecal tonsils. Feeding ABX-treated chickens with acetate recovered CD4+CD8−CD25+ and CD4+CD8+CD25+ T cells in cecal tonsils. GPR43, a receptor for acetate, was highly expressed in CD4+CD8−CD25+ T cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the gut microbiota can regulate the population of CD4+CD8−CD25+ and CD4+CD8+CD25+ T cells, and that acetate is responsible for the induction of CD4+CD8−CD25+ T cells in cecal tonsils via GPR43.

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