Weaning and the weanling diet influence the villous height and crypt depth in the small intestine of pigs and alter the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in the large intestine and blood

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 128; no. 6; pp. 947 - 953
• Main Authors: Beers-Schreurs, H.M.G. van, Nabuurs, M.J.A, Vellenga, L, Kalsbeek-van-der Valk, H.J, Wensing, T, Breukink, H.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutritional Sciences 01.06.1998; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: ABSORCION DIGESTIVA; ABSORPTION DIGESTIVE; ACIDE GRAS; ACIDOS GRASOS; ALDOSTERONE; Aldosterone - blood; Animal Feed; ANIMAL MODELS; Animal reproduction; Animals; Animals, Newborn - blood; Animals, Newborn - microbiology; Animals, Newborn - physiology; BEBES; Biological and medical sciences; BLOOD; CERDAS; CONTENIDO DE MATERIA SECA; DESTETE; DIET; DIETA; DIGESTA; DIGESTIVE ABSORPTION; DRY MATTER CONTENT; ENFANT EN BAS AGE; ESCHERICHIA COLI; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; EXPERIMENTACION; EXPERIMENTATION; FATTY ACIDS; Fatty Acids, Volatile - blood; Fatty Acids, Volatile - metabolism; Feeding. Feeding behavior; FLORA MICROBIANA; FLORE MICROBIENNE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal Contents; Hogs; HUMAN NUTRITION; INFANTS; INTESTIN; INTESTINAL ABSORPTION; Intestine, Large - metabolism; Intestine, Large - microbiology; Intestine, Small - anatomy & histology; INTESTINES; INTESTINOS; LAIT; LECHE; LECHON; MEMBRANA MUCOSA; MICROBIAL FLORA; Microvilli - ultrastructure; MILK; MINERALOCORTICOIDE; MINERALOCORTICOIDES; MINERALOCORTICOIDS; MODELE ANIMAL; MODELOS ANIMALES; MORPHOLOGY; MUCOUS MEMBRANE; MUQUEUSE; NUTRICION HUMANA; Nutrition; NUTRITION HUMAINE; Osmolar Concentration; PESO; PIGLETS; POIDS; PORCELET; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SANG; SANGRE; SEVRAGE; Small intestine; SODIO; SODIUM; Sodium - blood; SOWS; Swine; TENEUR EN MATIERE SECHE; TRUIE; ULTRAESTRUCTURA; ULTRASTRUCTURE; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; WEANING; WEIGHT; Digestive system; Mineralocorticoid; Weaning; Lipids; Aldosterone; Fatty acids; Small intestine; Young animal; Feeding; Pig; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Morphology; Adrenal hormone; Intestinal villi; Artiodactyla; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/128.6.947

Effects of weaning pigs to different diets have been investigated in terms of the changes in the small intestinal morphology, and in the absorption of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and sodium from the large intestine. One piglet from each of six litters containing nine pigs was sampled on the day of weaning; the other eight piglets were divided into four equal groups and fed different diets as follows: unweaned, weanling diet, or sow's milk at high or low level. Four and seven days after weaning, measurements of the intestinal tissue and contents were made; the plasma concentrations of SCFA, aldosterone and sodium were also measured. The villous height in the small intestine was highest in the unweaned group and greater in the high milk group than in either the weanling diet or low milk group (P 0.001). Apparently, villous atrophy was due more to the level of feed intake than to the composition of the diet. The concentrations of SCFA in the large intestine and portal blood were highest in the weanling diet group and lowest in the low milk group. The low milk group tended to have higher blood concentrations of aldosterone (P