Effect of exogenous butyrate on the gastrointestinal tract of sheep. I. Structure and function of the rumen, omasum, and abomasum1

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous butyrate on the structure and selected functions of the stomach in sheep. Eighteen rams (30.8 ± 2.1 kg; 12 to 15 mo of age) were allocated to the study and fed a diet for 14 d without (CTRL) or with sodium butyrate (BUT; 36 g/kg of offered DM). Neither DMI nor initial BW differed between treatments (P ≥ 0.61), but final BW was greater for BUT compared with CTRL (P = 0.03). Butyrate concentration in the reticuloruminal fluid and abomasal digesta was greater for BUT compared with CTRL (P ≤ 0.01), but total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentration, as well as concentration of other SCFA, did not differ between treatments (P ≥ 0.07). Relative to BW, reticuloruminal tissue mass tended (P = 0.09) to be greater and omasal digesta was less (P = 0.02) for BUT compared with CTRL. Dietary butyrate did not affect ruminal papillae length, width, and density nor did it affect ruminal epithelium thickness (P ≥ 0.12) in the ventral sac of the rumen. However, the DM of ruminal epithelium (mg/cm 2) tended (P = 0.06) to be greater for BUT compared with CTRL. Omasal and abomasal epithelium thicknesses were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for BUT compared with CTRL. Mitosis-to-apoptosis ratio in the abomasal epithelium was less for BUT compared with CTRL (P = 0.04). Finally, the mRNA expression of peptide transporter 1 in the omasal epithelium was less (P = 0.02) and mRNA expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 in the abomasal epithelium tended (P = 0.07) to be greater for BUT compared with CTRL. It can be concluded that exogenous butyrate supplementation affected not only the rumen but also omasum and abomasum in sheep.

Sodium butyrate and monensin supplementation to postweaning heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health

“…About 15% of ruminal short-chain fatty acid will flow to the omasum, abomasum, and SI (Górka et al, 2018b,c). Butyrate can then be absorbed by the omasum (Rupp et al, 1994;Górka et al, 2018c) or SI (Górka et al, 2018b). Górka et al (2011b) found that calves supplemented with unprotected SB in TMR had increased mitotic indices and decreased apoptotic indices.…”

“…However, in 2006 the European Union put a ban on antibiotic-like growth promoters (European Commission, 2005). An additive that has been shown to cause growth promotion that could replace ionophores is sodium butyrate (SB; Górka et al, 2018c;Rice et al, 2019).…”

“…Butyrate is utilized by ruminal epithelial tissues to increase proliferation of rumen papillae (Górka et al, Sodium butyrate and monensin supplementation to postweaning heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health T. C. Stahl, 1 E. Hatungimana, 1 K. D. Klanderman, 2 S. C. Moreland, 2 and P. S. Erickson 1 * 2011a,b). Increasing dimensions and density of papillae will result in an increase in the absorptive capabilities of the rumen (Górka et al, 2011a(Górka et al, ,b, 2018c. With absorptive capacity increased, heifers can utilize more nutrients for growth.…”

The Effects of Artificially Dosed Adult Rumen Contents on Abomasum Transcriptome and Associated Microbial Community Structure in Calves

“…Since the emergence of RNA-seq as an approach for the study of physiological changes in human and model organisms [ 8 ], application of transcriptome analysis in the stomach of ruminant has been expanding [ 9 ]. On the one hand, researchers focused on obtaining a more complete understanding of the molecules and pathways in rumen papillae between low and high feed efficiency in adult beef cattle [ 10 ].…”

“…Few studies evaluated the effects of different feeding strategies on the structure and function of the abomasum in cattle. For example, previous studies demonstrated that ruminal butyrate [ 9 ] and the increased proportion of dietary concentrate [ 13 ] may affect not only the rumen but also other parts of the GIT, such as the omasum, abomasum, and proximal small intestine. The microbiota within the four stomachs in ruminant could pass from one segment to another with the digest [ 7 ].…”