Prophylactic effect of dietary zinc in a laboratory mouse model of swine dysentery.
Reduced prevalence of diarrhea and mortality has been reported after dietary supplementation with zinc compounds in swine with naturally acquired colibacillosis and those challenge-exposed with Serpulina hyodysenteriae; however, the usefulness of this approach for control of enteric diseases of swine remains to be determined. To examine the effect of dietary zinc-containing compounds on the colonization and development of cecal lesions associated with S hyodysenteriae infection, a defined diet alone or with added ZnO, ZnSO4, or Zn-methionine complex to a final concentration of approximately 6,000 mg of Zn2+/kg of complete feed was fed ad libitum to 156 female mice (strain C3H/HeN) for 10 days prior to oral inoculation either with S hyodysenteriae or sterile trypticase soy broth. Rations were continued for 42 days, while at weekly intervals, 3 mice/group were necropsied for determination of body weight, cecal weight, liver zinc concentration, presence of S hyodysenteriae in the cecum, and gross and histologic assessments of cecal lesions. From postinoculation day 0 to 42, the liver zinc concentration of mice fed the zinc-supplemented diets was approximately twice that of mice fed the basal diet, irrespective of the source of zinc. From postinoculation day 7 through 42, the overall recovery rate of S hyodysenteriae in infected mice fed the basal diet was 77.8%. In contrast, recovery rates of S hyodysenteriae from S hyodysenteriae-inoculated mice fed the zinc-supplemented diets were 0% for Zn-methionine and ZnO and 16.7% for ZnSO4. Mice fed the basal diet had significantly (P < 0.05) higher weight gain than mice fed the zinc-supplemented diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Zhang
P
P
Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0905, USA.
Duhamel
G E
GE
Mysore
J V
JV
Carlson
M P
MP
Schneider
N R
NR
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D017401:Brachyspira hyodysenteriae / Q000187:drug effects*; D004403:Dysentery / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D013145:Spirochaetales Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015032:Zinc