Background: Dietary intervention has been reported to improve intestinal health. The intestinal microbiota of newborn animals plays a fundamental role in the development of intestinal function and the innate immune system. However, little is currently known about dietary interventions in the gut microbiota and barrier function of livestock, especially suckling Bamei piglets. To this end, we studied the effect of early dietary supplementation on intestinal bacterial communities and intestinal barrier function in piglets. Results: 10 purebred Bamei sows were randomly allocated into two groups. In group one, the piglets received a supplementary milk replacer on day 7 of age, whereas the other control group was allowed sow's milk alone. At 21 days, 18 and 17, respectively, piglets in each group of average weight were randomly selected and sacrificed. Tissue and digesta samples were collected from the jejunum to evaluate differences in the microbiome-metabolome and the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (TLR4, TNFα and IL-8) and barrier proteins (ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-1). Sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed that ES improved the gut microbiome composition of Bamei suckling piglets. The relative abundances of some bacterial species such as Lactobacillales, Romboutsia, Actinobacillus, Bacteroides were significantly reduced in the ES group. Metabolomics analysis indicated that 23 compounds were enriched and 35 compounds decreased in the ES group. And correlation analysis demonstrated that some gut bacterial genera were highly correlated with altered gut microbiota-related metabolites. Meanwhile, ES of Bamei suckling piglets altered the gene expression of inflammatory cytokine and barrier protein in the jejunum. Conclusions: In summary, these results provide important insights on the relationships between jejunal microbiota and related metabolites, and jejunal barrier function during the early life of Bamei suckling piglets.

What is Known and Objective Anticoagulants are indicated for treatment and prevention of several clinical conditions. Prior studies have examined anticoagulant utilization for specific indications and in community‐dwelling populations. Decision‐making regarding anticoagulant prescribing in the nursing home setting is particularly challenging because advanced age and clinical complexity places most residents at increased risk for adverse drug events. To estimate the prevalence of oral anticoagulant (OAC) use (overall, warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)) and identify factors associated with oral anticoagulant use among the general population of residents living in nursing homes. Methods This point prevalence study was conducted among 506,482 residents in US nursing homes on 31 October 2016 who were enrolled in Medicare fee‐for‐service. Covariates including demographics, clinical conditions, medications, cognitive impairment and functional status were obtained from Minimum Data Set 3.0 assessments and Medicare Part A and D claims. Oral anticoagulant use was identified using dispensing dates and days supply information from Medicare Part D claims. Robust Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for associations between covariates and 1) any anticoagulant use, and 2) DOAC versus warfarin use. Results and Discussion Overall, 11.8% of residents used oral anticoagulants. Among users, 44.3% used DOACs. Residents with body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2 (aPR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.61 −1.71), with functional dependency in activities of daily living, polypharmacy and higher CHA2DS2‐VASc risk ischaemic stroke scores, had a higher prevalence of oral anticoagulant use. Women (aPR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.76–0.79), residents with limited life expectancy (aPR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.76–0.83), those with moderate‐to‐severe cognitive impairment (aPR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.65–0.68), those using NSAIDs or antiplatelets, and non‐white racial/ethnic groups had a lower prevalence of anticoagulant use. Residents with higher levels of polypharmacy, BMI and age had a lower prevalence of DOAC use (versus warfarin). What is New and Conclusion Approximately one in eight general nursing home residents use oral anticoagulants and among oral anticoagulant users, only slightly more residents used warfarin than DOACs. The lower prevalence of anticoagulation among women and non‐white racial/ethnic groups raises concerns of potential inequities in quality of care. Lower oral anticoagulant use among residents with limited life expectancy suggests possible deprescribing at the end of life. Further research is needed to inform resident‐centred shared decision‐making that explicitly considers treatment goals and individual‐specific risks and benefits of anticoagulation at all stages of the medication use continuum.

Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34911354. Link to article on publisher's site