Dietary Chito-oligosaccharides Improve Intestinal Immunity via Regulating Microbiota and Th17/Treg Balance-Related Immune Signaling in Piglets Challenged by Enterotoxigenic E. coli

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate how chito-oligosaccharides (COSs) affect the growth performance and immune stress response and to further explain their mechanisms. A total of 32 boars that were 28 days old and three-way weaned were randomly allotted to four equal groups [CON (basal diet) group, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) group, COS group, and COS*ETEC group]. The results showed that COS partially reversed the negative changes in the average daily gain and average daily feed intake caused by the ETEC challenge and thereby alleviated the increase in the feed conversion ratio. Dietary COS increased the villus length as compared with the CON group and improved the ileal morphological structure. Additionally, it increased the bacterial diversity and Bacteroidetes abundance and lowered the Firmicutes abundance and Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio at the phylum level. COS treatment lowered the abundance of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Anarovovrio in the intestines of piglets, while it increased Muribaculaceae_unclassified and Prevotella at the genus level. COS had a significant inhibitory effect on the increase in the relative expression abundance of STAT3 mRNA caused by ETEC. The IL-10 and FOXP3 mRNAs were found to be significantly lower in the COS, ETEC, and COS*ETEC groups as compared to the CON group. These results demonstrate that COS could be beneficial for improving the growth performance and attenuating ETEC-challenged intestinal inflammation via regulating microbiota and Th17/Treg balance-related immune signaling pathways.

Stimbiotic Supplementation Alleviates Poor Performance and Gut Integrity in Weaned Piglets Induced by Challenge with E. coli

“…In the present study, the VH and HDR were decreased, but the CD was increased in STEC-challenged pigs. These results are consistent with previous studies showing that pigs challenged with E. coli had a lower VH and HDR in the small intestine [ 29 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. The E. coli challenge could cause a defect of the intestinal barrier integrity by downregulating the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins.…”

“…According to Liu et al [ 31 ], E. coli can cause inflammation in weaned piglets by boosting WBC counts and neutrophils. A previous study showed that Chito-oligosaccharides with a function similar to XOS can mitigated the increase in the value of neutrophils [ 33 ]. In the current study, during E. coli infection, pigs supplemented with STB had a lower neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio than non-supplemented with the STB groups, indicating that inflammation was decreased in piglets with STB supplementation.…”

Antibacterial plant combinations prevent postweaning diarrhea in organically raised piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F18

“…In the current study, following the ETEC F18 challenge, the microbiota configuration of pigs in the GA and GB groups differed from the PC pigs consistently. Similar effects have been observed 40 days postweaning in pigs supplemented with pharmacological levels of zinc oxide during the nursery period ( 72 ), and 21 days postweaning following chito-oligosaccharide supplementation to piglets during an ETEC challenge ( 73 ). We only followed the pigs up to 3 weeks after weaning, but considering the aforementioned studies, a lasting effect of GA and GB supplementation on the microbiota structure of pigs may be expected.…”

Fasting Protocols Do Not Improve Intestinal Architecture and Immune Parameters in C57BL/6 Male Mice Fed a High Fat Diet

“…At this point it is not clear if it acts directly on the immune cells or if changes are induced through microbiome alterations. Previous work had shown dietary fiber increases intestinal Foxp3 expression and Tregs cells [ 79 , 80 ]. Feeding long chain inulin-type fructans to NOD/LtJ mice elevated colonic Tregs cells and levels of IL-10 production [ 80 ].…”