Dietary Nucleotides Supplementation Improves the Intestinal Development and Immune Function of Neonates with Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction in a Pig Model.
The current study aimed to determine whether dietary nucleotides supplementation could improve growth performance, intestinal development and immune function of intra-uterine growth restricted (IUGR) neonate using pig as animal model. A total of 14 pairs of normal birth weight (NBW) and IUGR piglets (7 days old) were randomly assigned to receive a milk-based control diet (CON diet) or diet supplemented with nucleotides (NT diet) for a period of 21 days. Blood samples, intestinal tissues and digesta were collected at necropsy and analyzed for morphology, digestive enzyme activities, microbial populations, peripheral immune cells, expression of intestinal innate immunity and barrier-related genes and proteins. Compared with NBW piglets, IUGR piglets had significantly lower average daily dry matter intake and body weight gain (P<0.05). Moreover, IUGR markedly decreased the villous height and villi: crypt ratio in duodenum (P<0.05), as well as the maltase activity in jejunum (P<0.05). In addition, IUGR significantly decreased the serum concentrations of IgA, IL-1βand IL-10 (P<0.05), as well as the percentage of peripheral lymphocytes (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the down-regulation of innate immunity-related genes such as TOLLIP (P<0.05), TLR-9 (P = 0.08) and TLR-2 (P = 0.07) was observed in the ileum of IUGR relative to NBW piglets. Regardless of birth weight, however, feeding NT diet markedly decreased (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio, increased the villous height in duodenum (P<0.05), activities of lactase and maltase in jejunum (P<0.05), count of peripheral leukocytes (P<0.05), serum concentrations of IgA and IL-1β as well as gene expressions of TLR-9, TLR-4 and TOLLIP in ileum (P<0.05). In addition, expressions of tight junction proteins (Claudin-1 and ZO-1) in ileum were markedly increased by feeding NT diet relative to CON diet (P<0.05). These results indicated that IUGR impaired growth performance, intestinal and immune function, but dietary nucleotides supplementation improved nutrients utilization, intestinal function and immunity.
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Lianqiang
L
Che
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Liang
L
Hu
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Yan
Y
Liu
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Chuan
C
Yan
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Xie
X
Peng
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Qin
Q
Xu
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Ru
R
Wang
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.|Institute of livestock nutrition, Tongwei group Co., Ltd., No. 588, Tianfu Road, Gaoxin District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China.
Yuanfang
Y
Cheng
College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Hong
H
Chen
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Zhengfeng
Z
Fang
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Yan
Y
Lin
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Shengyu
S
Xu
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Bin
B
Feng
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
Daiwen
D
Chen
Institute of Animal Nutrition,Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People's Republic of China.
De
D
Wu
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine; D062725:Tight Junction Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D009711:Nucleotides; D062725:Tight Junction Proteins; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors