title: The piglet as a model for studying dietary components in infant diets: effects of galacto-oligosaccharides on intestinal functions.
abstract: Prebiotic oligosaccharides, including galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), are used in infant formula to mimic human milk oligosaccharides, which are known to have an important role in the development of the intestinal microbiota and the immune system in neonates. The maturation of the intestines in piglets closely resembles that of human neonates and infants. Hence, a neonatal piglet model was used to study the multi-faceted effect of dietary GOS in early life. Naturally farrowed piglets were separated from the mother sow 24-48 h postpartum and received a milk replacer with or without the addition of GOS for 3 or 26 d, whereafter several indicators of intestinal colonisation and maturation were measured. Dietary GOS was readily fermented in the colon, leading to a decreased pH, an increase in butyric acid in caecum digesta and an increase in lactobacilli and bifidobacteria numbers at day 26. Histomorphological changes were observed in the intestines of piglets fed a GOS diet for 3 or 26 d. In turn, differences in the intestinal disaccharidase activity were observed between control and GOS-fed piglets. The mRNA expression of various tight junction proteins was up-regulated in the intestines of piglet fed a GOS diet and was not accompanied by an increase in protein expression. GOS also increased defensin porcine β-defensin-2 in the colon and secretory IgA levels in saliva. In conclusion, by applying a neonatal piglet model, it could be demonstrated that a GOS-supplemented milk replacer promotes the balance of the developing intestinal microbiota, improves the intestinal architecture and seems to stimulate the intestinal defence mechanism.
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Veterinary Pharmacy,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Pharmacology and Toxicology,Utrecht University,3584 CM Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alizadeh
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Veterinary Pharmacy,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Pharmacology and Toxicology,Utrecht University,3584 CM Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: 3Laboratory of Food Chemistry,Wageningen University,6708 WG Wageningen,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Difilippo
authors.affiliation: 3Laboratory of Food Chemistry,Wageningen University,6708 WG Wageningen,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schols
authors.affiliation: 4FrieslandCampina,3818 LE Amersfoort,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ulfman
authors.affiliation: 4FrieslandCampina,3818 LE Amersfoort,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M H C
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schoterman
authors.affiliation: 2Division of Pharmacology,Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science,Utrecht University,3584 CG Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garssen
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Veterinary Pharmacy,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Pharmacology and Toxicology,Utrecht University,3584 CM Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fink-Gremmels
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Veterinary Pharmacy,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Pharmacology and Toxicology,Utrecht University,3584 CM Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braber
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004063:Digestion; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D005690:Galactose / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D034421:Sus scrofa; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D023083:beta-Defensins; D005690:Galactose
keywords: CLDN claudin; GOS galacto-oligosaccharides; Galacto-oligosaccharides; Gut microbiota; Immunomodulation; Intestinal integrity; Neonatal piglet models; OCLN occludin; TJ tight junction; ZO zona occludens protein; pBD porcine β-defensin; sIgA secretory IgA