title: Effects of short-chain fatty acids and lactic acids on survival of Oesophagostomum dentatum in pigs.
abstract: The direct influence of intracaecal infusion of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and lactic acids (LA) on already established Oesophagostomum dentatum infection in cannulated pigs was investigated. We tested the hypothesis that the previously discovered anti-parasitic effect of inulin is mediated through its metabolic products SCFA and LA by infusing into cannulated pigs these compounds in amounts approximating to those produced in the pigs large intestine and caecum during the metabolism of inulin. The experiment comprised of 18 pigs--2 groups of 9 pigs in each. The normal diet used in the experiment was based on barley flour with insoluble fibre from oat husk with added soybean meal, vitamins and minerals. After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diet all the pigs were inoculated with 6,000 infective larvae of O. dentatum. Six weeks later, surgery on all pigs was performed to install cannulas into caeci. At 7 weeks post-infection (p.i.) the SCFA and LA infusion was initiated in Group 1 (experimental) pigs; at the same time pigs in Group 2 (controls) were infused with saline. At week 10 p.i., all pigs were killed and their worm burdens determined. SCFA and LA infused pigs exhibited markedly reduced fecal egg counts and worm recoveries (98 and 92% reduction, respectively, compared to saline controls). The results from this study demonstrate that SCFA and LA have a significant negative influence on established O. dentatum infection in growing pigs. The results also show that the type of dietary carbohydrates fed and its intestinal degradation can yield metabolic by products that profoundly influence helminth survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Dyrlaegevej 100, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. spetkevicius@yahoo.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petkevicius
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Murrell
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bach Knudsen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laue
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000469:parasitology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000378:metabolism; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology; D005285:Fermentation; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009814:Oesophagostomiasis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D009815:Oesophagostomum / Q000187:drug effects*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007444:Inulin